Comparison of “Normal” craniocerebral computed tomography of deceased and living individuals

• Main Authors: Xiaofei Liu, Wenju Jin, Zhiyuan Xia, Lan Du, Chunsheng Li, Qing Chen, Li Liu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2020-01-01
• Series: Journal of Forensic Science and Medicine
• Subjects: craniocerebral; deceased; living individual; postmortem computed tomography; postmortem cross-sectional imaging
• Online Access: http://www.jfsmonline.com/article.asp?issn=2349-5014;year=2020;volume=6;issue=4;spage=111;epage=116;aulast=Liu

To compare “normal” craniocerebral computed tomography (CT) of deceased and living individuals. Nineteen parameters of craniocerebral CT scans of 50 deceased and 50 living individuals that met specific filtering criteria were measured separately: The intensity (CT value) ratio of gray matter to white matter (GM/WM), maximum and minimum length of frontal horn of ventricle, transverse diameter of cerebral parenchyma, length of choroid plexus, maximum external diameter of body of lateral ventricle, maximum internal transverse diameter of cranium, length of cerebral longitudinal fissure, length between two calvarium, transverse and longitudinal diameter of the third and fourth ventricle, length of the cerebral longitudinal fissure, Hackman value, ventricular index (D/A), index of the somatic part of lateral ventricle (F/E), lateral ventricular body index (G/E), frontal horn index (G/A), and ventriculocranial ratio (VCR). The values of these 19 parameters for the deceased and living individuals were performed using statistical methods. There were significant statistic differences between deceased and living individuals in terms of eight craniocerebral CT parameters, including GM/WM, D/A, transverse diameter of the fourth ventricle, and length of the cerebral longitudinal fissure. The craniocerebral CT findings differ between deceased and living individuals. Knowledge of the normal postmortem craniocerebral CT parameters is key to correct postmortem craniocerebral radiopathological diagnosis.