New Advances in Forensic Radiology and Imaging

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Imaging and Theranostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 1313

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Radiology, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, 6-7-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
Interests: postmortem imaging; forensic imaging; deep learning; computed tomography

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The fields of postmortem imaging and forensic radiology have revolutionized postmortem investigations through advanced imaging techniques. This Special Issue entitled "New Advances in Forensic Radiology and Imaging" aims to explore cutting-edge developments in postmortem imaging and their applications in forensic science.

This issue will focus on recent technological advances in postmortem imaging, including CT, MRI, and 3D surface scanning. Special attention will be devoted to the unique challenges and opportunities in forensic radiological interpretation, particularly regarding postmortem changes and their radiological manifestations.

The Special Issue will cover, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Advanced postmortem CT and MRI techniques
  • AI applications in forensic image analysis
  • Imaging biomarkers in forensic diagnosis
  • Standardization of forensic radiological procedures
  • Applications in forensic anthropology
  • Characteristic imaging findings of postmortem changes
  • Quality control in forensic imaging
  • The role of radiological imaging in cause of death determination

Original research articles, case reports, and review articles addressing these aspects of forensic radiology and imaging are welcomed for submission.

Dr. Masanori Ishida
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • forensic radiology
  • forensic imaging
  • postmortem CT
  • postmortem MRI
  • artificial intelligence
  • forensic radiological procedures

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2313 KiB  
Article
Postmortem Temporal Changes in Liver and Spleen Stiffness: Evaluation with Shear Wave Elastography in a Rat Model
by Ismail Taskent, Selçuk Başer, Bunyamin Ece, Serbülent Kılıç, Ugur Akpulat, Irfan Cinar and Nurtaç Sarıkaş
Diagnostics 2025, 15(8), 958; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15080958 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 285
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Postmortem changes in tissue stiffness and organ morphology are critical for forensic medicine and pathology. Shear wave elastography (SWE) has emerged as a non-invasive tool to assess tissue stiffness, yet its potential for postmortem interval estimation remains underexplored. While previous studies [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Postmortem changes in tissue stiffness and organ morphology are critical for forensic medicine and pathology. Shear wave elastography (SWE) has emerged as a non-invasive tool to assess tissue stiffness, yet its potential for postmortem interval estimation remains underexplored. While previous studies have demonstrated early postmortem alterations in tissue elasticity, the temporal progression of these changes in different organs is not fully understood. This study aims to investigate the temporal changes in liver and spleen stiffness during the postmortem period using SWE and to evaluate the predictive potential of elastographic parameters for postmortem interval estimation. Methods: Twelve male Sprague–Dawley rats were sacrificed via cervical dislocation following deep anesthesia. Postmortem liver and spleen measurements, including longitudinal and short diameters and SWE values (kPa), were recorded at 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, and 36 h. All elastographic measurements were obtained using a 5 mm circular region of interest (ROI) for the liver and a 3 mm ROI for the spleen. Changes over time were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, with post hoc Bonferroni corrections applied where necessary. Additionally, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were performed to assess the predictive accuracy of SWE parameters in estimating postmortem time. Results: Postmortem liver and spleen stiffness exhibited a significant declining trend over time (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.749 and η2 = 0.810, respectively). Liver and spleen dimensions initially increased, reaching peak values around 6 h, followed by a gradual reduction. ROC analysis demonstrated that spleen SWE (AUC = 0.917) and liver SWE (AUC = 0.845) were the strongest predictors of early postmortem time. Binary logistic regression further confirmed that liver and spleen SWE were statistically significant predictors of postmortem time (p = 0.006 and p = 0.020, respectively). Conclusions: This study provides evidence that postmortem liver and spleen stiffness decline progressively over time, while organ dimensions exhibit a biphasic pattern. Elastographic parameters, particularly SWE values, demonstrated strong predictive accuracy in estimating early postmortem intervals. These findings suggest that SWE may serve as a valuable imaging modality for forensic applications, providing objective insights into postmortem biomechanical changes and time-of-death estimation. Further research should explore the applicability of SWE in different tissue types and under varying environmental conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Forensic Radiology and Imaging)
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16 pages, 5497 KiB  
Article
Validation of Ultrasound for Quantification of Knee Meniscal Tissue: A Cadaveric Study
by Jacobo Rodríguez-Sanz, Miguel Malo-Urriés, Sergio Borrella-Andrés, Isabel Albarova-Corral and Carlos López-de-Celis
Diagnostics 2025, 15(3), 389; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15030389 - 6 Feb 2025
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Abstract
Background: While MRI is the gold standard for meniscal assessment, its cost and accessibility limitations have led to growing interest in ultrasound, though its validity for quantifying meniscal tissue remains unclear. To validate the use of ultrasound in quantifying meniscal tissue across [...] Read more.
Background: While MRI is the gold standard for meniscal assessment, its cost and accessibility limitations have led to growing interest in ultrasound, though its validity for quantifying meniscal tissue remains unclear. To validate the use of ultrasound in quantifying meniscal tissue across the anterior, middle, and posterior regions of both menisci (medial and lateral) in longitudinal and transverse planes by comparison with cadaveric dissection. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on ten cryopreserved anatomical donors, obtaining a total of 120 ultrasound scans from the different meniscal regions. Following ultrasound imaging, cadaveric dissection was performed to facilitate photometric measurements, thereby enabling validation of the ultrasound findings. The intra-examiner reliability of the ultrasound measurements was also assessed. Results: The intra-examiner reliability of ultrasound measurements ranged from moderate to excellent. A strong and statistically significant positive correlation was observed between ultrasound and photometric measurements across all meniscal regions (r > 0.821; p < 0.05). In the medial meniscus, ultrasound visualized 99.1% of the anterior region (8.71 mm with ultrasound; 8.64 mm with photometry), 96.3% of the middle region (9.09 mm with ultrasound; 9.39 mm with photometry), and 98.5% of the posterior region (10.54 mm with ultrasound; 10.61 mm with photometry). In the lateral meniscus, ultrasound visualized 107.1% of the anterior region, 105.1% of the middle region, and 97.8% of the posterior region. The observed excess in tissue visualization in some regions likely reflects the inclusion of adjacent connective tissue, indistinguishable from meniscal tissue on ultrasound. Conclusions: Ultrasound is a valid and reliable modality for visualizing most meniscal tissue across regions, with a measurement discrepancy under 0.7 mm compared to anatomical dissection. However, caution is advised as adjacent connective tissue may sometimes be misidentified as meniscal tissue during evaluations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Forensic Radiology and Imaging)
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