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Klontzas ME, Leventis D, Spanakis K, Karantanas AH, Kranioti EF. Post-mortem CT radiomics for the prediction of time since death. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:8387-8395. [PMID: 37329460 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-09746-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation has long been relying on sequential post-mortem changes on the body as a function of extrinsic, intrinsic, and environmental factors. Such factors are difficult to account for in complicated death scenes; thus, PMI estimation can be compromised. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the use of post-mortem CT (PMCT) radiomics for the differentiation between early and late PMI. METHODS Consecutive whole-body PMCT examinations performed between 2016 and 2021 were retrospectively included (n = 120), excluding corpses without an accurately reported PMI (n = 23). Radiomics data were extracted from liver and pancreas tissue and randomly split into training and validation sets (70:30%). Following data preprocessing, significant features were selected (Boruta selection) and three XGBoost classifiers were built (liver, pancreas, combined) to differentiate between early (< 12 h) and late (> 12 h) PMI. Classifier performance was assessed with receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and areas under the curves (AUC), which were compared by bootstrapping. RESULTS A total of 97 PMCTs were included, representing individuals (23 females and 74 males) with a mean age of 47.1 ± 23.38 years. The combined model achieved the highest AUC reaching 75% (95%CI 58.4-91.6%) (p = 0.03 compared to liver and p = 0.18 compared to pancreas). The liver-based and pancreas-based XGBoost models achieved AUCs of 53.6% (95%CI 34.8-72.3%) and 64.3% (95%CI 46.7-81.9%) respectively (p > 0.05 for the comparison between liver- and pancreas-based models). CONCLUSION The use of radiomics analysis on PMCT examinations differentiated early from late PMI, unveiling a novel image-based method with important repercussions in forensic casework. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT This paper introduces the employment of radiomics in forensic diagnosis by presenting an effective automated alternative method of estimating post-mortem interval from targeted tissues, thus paving the way for improvement in speed and quality of forensic investigations. KEY POINTS • A combined liver-pancreas radiomics model differentiated early from late post-mortem intervals (using a 12-h threshold) with an area under the curve of 75% (95%CI 58.4-91.6%). • XGBoost models based on liver-only or pancreas-only radiomics demonstrated inferior performance to the combined model in predicting the post-mortem interval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michail E Klontzas
- Department of Medical Imaging, University Hospital of Heraklion, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece
- Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece
- Advanced Hybrid Imaging Systems, Institute of Computer Science - FORTH, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Leventis
- Department of Medical Imaging, University Hospital of Heraklion, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Spanakis
- Department of Medical Imaging, University Hospital of Heraklion, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece
| | - Apostolos H Karantanas
- Department of Medical Imaging, University Hospital of Heraklion, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece.
- Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece.
- Advanced Hybrid Imaging Systems, Institute of Computer Science - FORTH, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece.
| | - Elena F Kranioti
- Forensic Medicine Unit, Department of Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Greece.
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Applications of 3D printing in forensic medicine and forensic pathology. A systematic review. ANNALS OF 3D PRINTED MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.stlm.2022.100083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Tuchtan L, Gorincour G, Kolopp M, Massiani P, Léonetti G, Piercecchi-Marti MD, Bartoli C. Combined use of postmortem 3D computed tomography reconstructions and 3D-design software for postmortem ballistic analysis. Diagn Interv Imaging 2017; 98:809-812. [DOI: 10.1016/j.diii.2017.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Ferrara SD, Cecchetto G, Cecchi R, Favretto D, Grabherr S, Ishikawa T, Kondo T, Montisci M, Pfeiffer H, Bonati MR, Shokry D, Vennemann M, Bajanowski T. Back to the Future - Part 2. Post-mortem assessment and evolutionary role of the bio-medicolegal sciences. Int J Legal Med 2017; 131:1085-1101. [PMID: 28444439 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-017-1585-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Part 2 of the review "Back to the Future" is dedicated to the evolutionary role of the bio-medicolegal sciences, reporting the historical profiles, the state of the art, and prospects for future development of the main related techniques and methods of the ancillary disciplines that have risen to the role of "autonomous" sciences, namely, Genetics and Genomics, Toxicology, Radiology, and Imaging, involved in historic synergy in the "post-mortem assessment," together with the mother discipline Legal Medicine, by way of its primary fundament, universally denominated as Forensic Pathology. The evolution of the scientific research and the increased accuracy of the various disciplines will be oriented towards the elaboration of an "algorithm," able to weigh the value of "evidence" placed at the disposal of the "justice system" as real truth and proof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santo Davide Ferrara
- Department of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Padua, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Cecchetto
- Department of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Rossana Cecchi
- Department of Biomedical, Biotechnological and Translational Medicine, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Donata Favretto
- Department of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Silke Grabherr
- University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Takaki Ishikawa
- Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshikazu Kondo
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Massimo Montisci
- Department of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Heidi Pfeiffer
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University-Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Maurizio Rippa Bonati
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, Section of Medical Humanities, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Dina Shokry
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, University of Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Marielle Vennemann
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University-Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Bajanowski
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University-Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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Fais P, Cecchetto G, Boscolo-Berto R, Toniolo M, Viel G, Miotto D, Montisci M, Tagliaro F, Giraudo C. Morphometric analysis of stab wounds by MSCT and MRI after the instillation of contrast medium. LA RADIOLOGIA MEDICA 2016; 121:494-501. [PMID: 26747042 DOI: 10.1007/s11547-015-0612-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze the morphology and depth of stab wounds experimentally produced on human legs amputated for medical reasons using multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after the instillation of a single contrast medium solution (CMS). MATERIALS AND METHODS For morphological analysis, MSCT and MRI scans were performed before and after the instillation of CMS into the wound cavity. Depth measurements were performed on the sagittal view only after CMS instillation. Subsequently, each wound was dissected using the layer-by-layer technique and the depth was measured by a ruler. One-way between-groups pairwise analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bland-Altman plot analysis were used for comparing radiological and anatomical measurements. RESULTS Unenhanced MSCT images did not identify the wound channels, whereas unenhanced MRI evidenced the wound cavity in 50 % of cases. After the instillation of CMS, both MSCT and MRI depicted the wound channel in all the investigated stabbings, although the morphology of the cavity was irregular and did not resemble the shape of the blade. The radiological measurements of the wounds' depth, after the application of CMS, exhibited a high level of agreement (about 95 % at Bland-Altman plot analysis) with the anatomical measurements at dissection. A similar systematic underestimation, however, has been evidenced for MSCT (average 11.4 %; 95 % CI 7-17) and MRI (average 9.6 %; 95 % CI 6-13) data after the instillation of CMS with respect to wound dissection measurements. CONCLUSION MSCT and MRI after the instillation of CMS can be used for depicting the morphometric features of stab wounds, although depth measurements are affected by a slight systematic underestimation compared to layer-by-layer dissection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Fais
- Legal Medicine, University of Verona, Piazzale Ludovico Antonio Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cecchetto
- Legal Medicine and Toxicology, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Falloppio 50, 35121, Padua, Italy
| | - Rafael Boscolo-Berto
- Legal Medicine and Toxicology, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Falloppio 50, 35121, Padua, Italy
| | - Matteo Toniolo
- Institute of Radiology, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35121, Padua, Italy
| | - Guido Viel
- Legal Medicine and Toxicology, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Falloppio 50, 35121, Padua, Italy
| | - Diego Miotto
- Institute of Radiology, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35121, Padua, Italy
| | - Massimo Montisci
- Legal Medicine and Toxicology, University-Hospital of Padova, Via Falloppio 50, 35121, Padua, Italy
| | - Franco Tagliaro
- Legal Medicine, University of Verona, Piazzale Ludovico Antonio Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Chiara Giraudo
- Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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