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01-09-2015 | Original Article

Postmortem quantitative 1.5-T MRI for the differentiation and characterization of serous fluids, blood, CSF, and putrefied CSF

Authors: Wolf-Dieter Zech, Nicole Schwendener, Anders Persson, Marcel J. Warntjes, Fabiano Riva, Frederick Schuster, Christian Jackowski

Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine | Issue 5/2015

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether serous fluids, blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and putrefied CSF can be characterized and differentiated in synthetically calculated magnetic resonance (MR) images based on their quantitative T ₁, T ₂, and proton density (PD) values. Images from 55 postmortem short axis cardiac and 31 axial brain 1.5-T MR examinations were quantified using a quantification sequence. Serous fluids, fluid blood, sedimented blood, blood clots, CSF, and putrefied CSF were analyzed for their mean T ₁, T ₂, and PD values. Body core temperature was measured during the MRI scans. The fluid-specific quantitative values were related to the body core temperature. Equations to correct for temperature differences were generated. In a 3D plot as well as in statistical analysis, the quantitative T ₁, T ₂ and PD values of serous fluids, fluid blood, sedimented blood, blood clots, CSF, and putrefied CSF could be well differentiated from each other. The quantitative T ₁ and T ₂ values were temperature-dependent. Correction of quantitative values to a temperature of 37 °C resulted in significantly better discrimination between all investigated fluid mediums. We conclude that postmortem 1.5-T MR quantification is feasible to discriminate between blood, serous fluids, CSF, and putrefied CSF. This finding provides a basis for the computer-aided diagnosis and detection of fluids and hemorrhages.

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Title: Postmortem quantitative 1.5-T MRI for the differentiation and characterization of serous fluids, blood, CSF, and putrefied CSF
Authors: Wolf-Dieter Zech
Nicole Schwendener
Anders Persson
Marcel J. Warntjes
Fabiano Riva
Frederick Schuster
Christian Jackowski
Publication date: 01-09-2015
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine / Issue 5/2015
Print ISSN: 0937-9827
Electronic ISSN: 1437-1596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-015-1218-y

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Postmortem quantitative 1.5-T MRI for the differentiation and characterization of serous fluids, blood, CSF, and putrefied CSF

Abstract

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