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European Radiology
Published in: European Radiology 4/2004

01-04-2004 | Forensic Medicine

Drug smuggling by body packing: what radiologists should know about it

Authors: Klaus Hergan, Karl Kofler, Wolfgang Oser

Published in: European Radiology | Issue 4/2004

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Abstract

Body packing is a distinct method for smuggling drugs. What radiologists need to know is discussed in this pictorial review. Radiologists are confronted with diagnostic imaging of body packers because of two main reasons: complications of body packing and identifying drug packets within the gastrointestinal tract. The standard examination used is plain X-ray of the abdomen in an upright and a supine position. Computed tomography is occasionally used but nevertheless described as a very accurate diagnostic tool. Ultrasound and MR imaging do not play an important role in that field. Depending on the purity of the drug, three different forms of attenuation have been described: hashish is denser than stool; cocaine appears similar to stool; and heroin has a gaseous transparence. The packets are of a round to oval form, usually of a particular uniformity and rarely confused with scybala if arranged like a pearl chain; therefore, plain X-ray is the method of choice to detect drug-filled packets within the gastrointestinal tract of body packers.
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Metadata
Title
Drug smuggling by body packing: what radiologists should know about it
Authors
Klaus Hergan
Karl Kofler
Wolfgang Oser
Publication date
01-04-2004
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
European Radiology / Issue 4/2004
Print ISSN: 0938-7994
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1084
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-003-2091-5

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