Evaluation of postmortem MRI in death investigation

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H06242
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Legal medicine
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Makino Yohsuke 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 准教授 (50725017)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 死後MRI / 死後CT / 法医画像診断学 / 死因究明 / 法医学 / 法医病理学 / 突然死 / 死後画像

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Postmortem MRI examinations with multiple sequences were performed prior to forensic autopsies, and the head, neck, and chest findings were compared with postmortem CT and autopsy findings. As a result, postmortem MRI was able to pick up pathologies and/or traumatic injuries that were previously considered difficult to point out by postmortem CT in areas such as the brain, cervical cord, pulmonary artery, and heart. In particular, it was confirmed that the diagnostic area can be expanded by 3D and/or gradient-echo sequences, which has not been examined so far for PMMR in forensic medicine. In the future, we plan to further study and report and aim to improve the death investigation by applying postmortem image diagnosis including postmortem MRI.

Free Research Field

法医画像診断学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

死後MRIが死後CTに対し、死因究明においてどのような付加価値があるかを示した本研究成果は、異状死解剖率が低く、異状死の死因究明に死後画像利用が広がる日本社会において重要な意義を持つ。死後MRIを利用することで死後CTの限界を超え、より科学的に質の高い死因究明が可能なことが示唆され、世界的に解剖率が低下している中、日本にとどまらず世界各国の死因究明に影響を与えうる。軸索損傷、一酸化炭素中毒による淡蒼球壊死、脂肪塞栓の死後MRIによる指摘は世界で初めての報告であり、学術的意義も高いと考えられる・