Fukuda Haruki, Ishikawa Takuya, Sano Rie, Kominato Yoshihiko, Tokue Hiroyuki
Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, Maebashi, JPN.
Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, JPN.
Cureus. 2024 Oct 17;16(10):e71727. doi: 10.7759/cureus.71727. eCollection 2024 Oct.
Postmortem CT (PMCT) is widely used in forensic investigations to determine the causes of death and is particularly effective in trauma cases and for detecting foreign bodies such as gas or metallic fragments. However, PMCT utility in cases of advanced postmortem changes remains poorly explored. We present the case of a woman in her 60s with a history of schizophrenia who was found in an advanced state of decomposition. PMCT revealed a high-density foreign body in the pharynx, with a CT value of 154.4 HU. During autopsy, a white object, approximately 5 cm in size, was discovered in the pharynx, which was later identified as a mochi, a traditional Japanese rice cake. This led to the conclusion that the cause of death was asphyxiation due to airway obstruction caused by a mochi. This case highlights the diagnostic potential of PMCT in cases of advanced decomposition, particularly for detecting airway obstruction caused by food. Further research and accumulation of such cases are essential to completely evaluate the utility of PMCT in forensic investigations involving advanced decomposition.
尸检CT（PMCT）在法医调查中被广泛用于确定死因，在创伤案件以及检测气体或金属碎片等异物方面特别有效。然而，PMCT在晚期尸体变化案件中的效用仍未得到充分探索。我们报告了一例60多岁患有精神分裂症病史的女性，被发现处于高度腐败状态。PMCT显示咽部有一个高密度异物，CT值为154.4HU。尸检时，在咽部发现一个白色物体，大小约5厘米，后来被确认为麻糬，一种传统的日本米糕。由此得出结论，死因是麻糬导致气道阻塞引起的窒息。该病例突出了PMCT在高度腐败案件中的诊断潜力，特别是对于检测由食物引起的气道阻塞。进一步的研究和此类病例的积累对于全面评估PMCT在涉及高度腐败的法医调查中的效用至关重要。
