Fig. 5
From: Burned bodies: post-mortem computed tomography, an essential tool for modern forensic medicine
Fluid sampling. a, b A 39-year-old man who died in a fire at his home. Axial thoracic CT images viewed in the mediastinal window clearly show a fluid-fluid level in the ascending aorta (white arrow) and left atrium (white dashed arrow), pointing out non-coagulated blood available for sampling and toxicological analysis. c The severely burned body of an 89-year-old man. Axial thoracic CT image showing a thermal pericardial disrupture with exposure of the ascending aorta and cardiac cavities. An hyperdense round image is clearly identified in the lumen of the ascending aorta surrounded by a fine aeric crescent corresponding to a heat-related clot (arrowhead). There are also no fluid-fluid levels in the cardiac cavities or mediastinal vessels, suggesting the presence of thermally induced blood coagulation, and hence eliminating the possibility for blood sampling. d Same body as c: axial plane pelvic CT image showing a full bladder suitable for urine sampling (asterisk) through moderate loss of abdominal skin protecting the bladder. Note the asymmetry of fire-related injuries, with the thorax displaying multiple significant chest wall injuries, and the pelvic wall exhibiting thinning and a localised area of hyperattenuation, denoting hyperdensities of burned ashes (thick white arrow)