Intra hepatic gases (IHGs) are common findings as postmortem change in postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) (Figure. 1) [1]. Some literature reports that factors such intra hepatic gases in PMCT as trauma, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), bowel distention (BD), and interval time from one's death to PMCT study, are related to[2-4]. However there are no reports about relationship between existence of IHG and environment where victim died. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the existence of IHG at PMCT and bath-related deaths...

1. Patients a. Inclusion criteria During the period from March 1st, 2009 to February 27th, 2011, a patient wherein a PMCT was performed at Kameda Medical Center (Kamogawa, Chiba, JAPAN) was entered into our study. At Kameda Medical Center, PMCT studies were performed on patients who received pathological autopsy following their death, and patient's who deceased shortly after admission to our emergency room. In these former cases, it was utilized as a screening method before autopsy and, in the latter cases, it was utilized to...

A series of 161 PMCT cases were investigated retrospectively (Table. 1). There were 42 eligible cases; 23 men and 19 women; 13 Bath related and 29 non-Bath related cases. The IHG was seen in 9 cases (69 %) in Bath-related group, and 7 cases (24 %) in non-Bath-related group. The existence of IHG in Bath-related group was significantly more frequent (Fisher's exact t-test; p = 0.01; odds ratio 6.7) and its grade was significantly higher (Rigid analysis test; p = 0.005, Figure. 4). The mean...

There was a significant difference in the levels of IHG between Bath related and non-Bath related groups. Some IHG related factors already we mentioned; trauma, CPR, BD, interval time from death to PMCT study, had no significant difference in our study. The origins of IHGs were still in arguments [5]. There was a report about relationship between IHGs and putrefactive change [6, 7]. The putrefactive changes were accelerated in adequate temperature and moisture like bathroom. Still there were some limitations in our study. All PMCT...

1. Jackowski C, Sonnenschein M, Thali MJ et al: Intrahepatic gas at postmortem computed tomography: forensic experience as a potential guide for in vivo trauma imaging. J Trauma 2007;62:979-988. 2. Shiotani S, Kohno M, Ohashi N et al: Non-traumatic postmortem computed tomographic (PMCT) findings of the lung. Forensic Sci Int 2004;139:39-48. 3. Shiotani S, Kohno M, Ohashi N et al: Cardiovascular gas on non-traumatic postmortem computed tomography (PMCT): the influence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Radiat Med 2005;23:225-229. 4. Takahashi N, Higuchi T, Shiotani M et al:...

K.Ito. Emergency and Trauma department, Kameda medical center, 929 Higashi-Cho, Kamogawa city, Chiba pref., JAPAN mail to: [email protected]