Closure of cranial sutures progresses with age; therefore, macroscopic assessment of cranial sutures has been used as one method of age estimation. Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT), which many forensic medical departments and institutes have begun to adopt, has the potential to simplify the gathering of information from cranial sutures for both surface and cross-sectional evaluation. To examine the feasibility of age estimation by cross-sectional multidetector computed tomography images of the sagittal suture, PMCT findings of 125 subjects of known age and sex were retrospectively reviewed. The sagittal suture was divided into four segments, and 20 cross-sectional slices from each segment were analyzed. These slices were each categorized by visual evaluation into one of the seven stages defined by Harth et al. according to the degree of closure. The mean stage value of 20 slices was calculated for each segment. We were able to evaluate cross-sectional images of the sagittal suture by PMCT, and a positive correlation between age and closure degree was observed. Despite the prediction interval achieved with this method not being superior to traditional macroscopic or flat-panel CT assessment, multidetector CT is a potentially useful tool, in conjunction with other methods, for age estimation, particularly in adult females and in cases where only a skull is the sole remain.

Pulp cavity size is known to decrease with age and can therefore serve as an indicator for age estimation. Here, we evaluated whether reconstructed images of multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) acquired before forensic autopsy are useful for estimating age at death. Images of 136 mandibular first premolars obtained from bodies of known age at death were analyzed, and the volume of the regions corresponding to pulp cavity and that of the whole tooth were determined using a voxel counting function. The pulp cavity was clearly distinguishable from dental hard tissue on the reconstructed images when using a cutoff value of 1400 Hounsfield units. Regression analysis adjusted for sex showed that estimated age correlated significantly with the pulp cavity to tooth volume ratio (r = 0.76). MDCT is gaining more widespread use in forensic medicine, and analyzing dental images to obtain parameters for age prediction is a practical approach for postmortem identification.

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The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of stature estimation by measuring the pelvic bones of Japanese cadavers using three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT). We assessed 3D reconstructed images of 210 Japanese subjects (108 males, 102 females) who had undergone postmortem CT between May 2011 and November 2013. We defined the linear distance from the anterosuperior margin of the left and right anterior superior iliac spines (ASIS) to the posterior margin of the left and right ischial spines as the LSS and RSS, respectively. We also defined the linear distance from the anterosuperior margin of the left and right ASIS to the anteroinferior margin of the left and right ischial tuberosities as the LST and RST, respectively. The correlation between the cadaver stature (CS) and each parameter (LSS, LST, RSS, and RST) was evaluated using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and regression analysis was performed for stature estimation. All four parameters correlated significantly with stature independent of sex, suggesting that they can be used as a tool for stature estimation. The LST had the closest correlation with stature in both sexes.

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Postmortem computed tomography (CT) images can show internal findings related to the cause of death, and it can be a useful method for forensic diagnosis. In this study, we scanned a ready-made box by helical CT on 2-mm slices in a mobile CT scanner and measured each side of the box to assess whether reconstructed images are useful for superimposition. The mean difference between the actual measurements and the measurements on the three-dimensional (3D) reconstructed images (3D-CT images) is 0.9 mm; we regarded it as having no effect on reconstruction for the superimposition method. Furthermore, we could get 3D-CT images of the skull, which were consistent with the actual skull, indicating that CT images can be applied to superimposition for identification. This study suggested that postmortem CT images can be applied as superimpositions for unidentified cases, and thinner slices or cone beam CT can be a more precise tool.