Virtuelle Autopsie (Virtopsy) in der Forensik: Vom Skalpell zum Scanner

Zusammenfassung: "Virtopsy" nutzt moderne Imaging-Technologie, um die klassische Dokumentation der Autopsie zu optimieren. Vorteile der Virtopsy sind die untersucherunabhängige, objektive 3D-Dokumentation von Körperbefunden und der nichtinvasive Ansatz. Virtopsy ist eine Option bei Autopsieablehnung durch die Familie oder aus religiösen Gründen. Virtopsy eignet sich bei Massenkatastrophen für eine schnelle Identifizierung von Opfern. Für Staatsanwälte und Gerichte können medizinische Befunde dreidimensional ohne blutige Bilder gezeigt werde

Discretionary medical reporting of potentially unfit drivers: a questionnaire-based survey in Southeast Switzerland

In Switzerland, every physician has the right to report a patient that is potentially unfit to drive to the licensing authority without violating medical confidentiality. Verified information regarding physicians' attitudes concerning this discretionary reporting and the frequency of such reports are not available. In order to answer these questions, 635 resident physicians were sent a questionnaire. The response rate was 52%. On average, the responding physicians—for all specialties—reported 0.31 patients (SD 0.64, 95% CI 0.24-0.38) in the year before the survey and 1.00 patient (SD 1.74, 95% CI 0.81-1.20) in the past 5years. Seventy-nine percent of the responding physicians indicated knowing the current legal requirements for driving in Switzerland. In applied logistic regression analysis, only two factors correlate significantly with reporting: male sex (odds ratio 5.4) and the specialty "general medicine” (odds ratio 3.4). Ninety-seven percent of the physicians were against abolishing medical discretionary reporting and 29% were in favor of introducing mandatory reporting. The great majority of the questioned physicians supported the discretionary reporting of drivers that are potentially unfit to drive as currently practiced in Switzerland. The importance and the necessity of a regular traffic medicine-related continuing education for medical professionals are shown by the low number of reports per physicia

Virtopsy®-Untersuchungsmethoden in der Strafverfolgung: Umfrage in den Schweizer Kantonen Aargau und Bern

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Das Institut für Rechtsmedizin (IRM) Bern lancierte vor über 10Jahren das Virtopsy®-Projekt. Bei der Virtopsy® werden aus der Medizin, Radiologie und Vermessungstechnik bekannte Verfahren wie dreidimensionaler (3D)Oberflächen-Scan, Computertomographie (CT), Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT), postmortale Biopsie und postmortale Angiographie benutzt, um außergewöhnliche Todesfälle (agT), aber auch Verletzungen an Lebenden zu dokumentieren. Seit 2006 greifen die Strafverfolgungsbehörden der Kantone Bern und Aargau routinemäßig auf diese bildgebenden Verfahren zurück. Methode: Das IRM Bern hat in diesem Zusammenhang eine elektronische Umfrage bei den Untersuchungsrichtern (UR) durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: Die Umfrage ergab z.T. große kantonale Unterschiede. Insbesondere sind die bildgebenden Verfahren bzw. ist die Virtopsy® bei den UR des Kantons Aargau weniger (lange) bekannt als bei den Berner UR. Die UR gewinnen jedoch den bildgebenden Verfahren einen Mehrwert gegenüber den klassischen Methoden ab. Die Zukunft der Virtopsy®, auch in juristischer Sicht (neue schweizerische Strafprozessordnung), wird durch die UR optimistisch bewertet. Schlussfolgerung: Einer Zukunft dieser bildgebenden Verfahren in der Strafverfolgung steht bis auf den momentan noch geringen Bekanntheitsgrad seitens der Strafverfolgungsbehörden grundsätzlich nichts entgege

Computed tomographic appearance of urachal adenocarcinomas: review of 25 cases

Twenty-five cases of surgically proven urachal carcinomas were retrospectively reviewed. The radiological archives at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology were searched for cases of surgically proven urachal carcinomas that had a computed tomographic (CT) scan as a part of their radiologic evaluation. CT images from all cases were evaluated to determine tumor morphology, presence and localization of calcification, extent of bladder invasion and metastases. Tumor size at presentation averaged 6cm. Twenty-one of 25 (84%) were mixed cystic solid lesions and 4/25 (16%) were completely solid. Calcifications were present in 18/25 (72%), with 11 peripherally located, 3 central only and 4 both. Bladder wall invasion was present in 23/25 (92%), but was seen as an intraluminal mass in only 13/25 (52%). The bulk of the mass was extravesicular in 22/25 (88%). Metastases were present in 12/25 (48%). Our series supports observations from other smaller series that a midline, calcified, supravesicular mass is highly suspicious, if not pathognomonic, for urachal carcinom

Material differentiation in forensic radiology with single-source dual-energy computed tomography

The goal of this study was to investigate the use of dual-energy computed tomography (CT) in differentiating frequently encountered foreign material on CT images using a standard single-source CT scanner. We scanned 20 different, forensically relevant materials at two X-Ray energy levels (80 and 130kVp) on CT. CT values were measured in each object at both energy levels. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine intra-reader reliability. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to assess significance levels between X-Ray attenuation at 80 and 130kVp. T test was used to investigate significance levels between mean HU values of individual object pairings at single energy levels of 80 and 130kVp, respectively. ANOVA revealed that the difference in attenuation between beam energies of 80kVp compared to 130kVp was statistically significant (p<0.005) for all materials except brass and lead. ICC was excellent at 80kVp (0.999, p<0.001) and at 130kVp (0.998, p<0.001). T test showed that using single energy levels of 80 and 130kVp respectively 181/190 objects pairs could be differentiated from one another based on HU measurements. Using the combined information from both energy levels, 189/190 object pairs could be differentiated. Scanning with different energy levels is a simple way to apply dual-energy technique on a regular single-energy CT and improves the ability to differentiate foreign bodies with CT, based on their attenuation value

Geometric facial comparisons in speed-check photographs

In many cases, it is not possible to call the motorists to account for their considerable excess in speeding, because they deny being the driver on the speed-check photograph. An anthropological comparison of facial features using a photo-to-photo comparison can be very difficult depending on the quality of the photographs. One difficulty of that analysis method is that the comparison photographs of the presumed driver are taken with a different camera or camera lens and from a different angle than for the speed-check photo. To take a comparison photograph with exactly the same camera setup is almost impossible. Therefore, only an imprecise comparison of the individual facial features is possible. The geometry and position of each facial feature, for example the distances between the eyes or the positions of the ears, etc., cannot be taken into consideration. We applied a new method using 3D laser scanning, optical surface digitalization, and photogrammetric calculation of the speed-check photo, which enables a geometric comparison. Thus, the influence of the focal length and the distortion of the objective lens are eliminated and the precise position and the viewing direction of the speed-check camera are calculated. Even in cases of low-quality images or when the face of the driver is partly hidden, good results are delivered using this method. This new method, Geometric Comparison, is evaluated and validated in a prepared study which is described in this articl

Physicians' knowledge and continuing medical education regarding fitness to drive: a questionnaire-based survey in Southeast Switzerland

Valid information for physicians in Switzerland concerning knowledge and continuing education in traffic medicine is not available. Also, their attitude to the legally prescribed periodic driving fitness examinations is unclear. In order to gain more information about these topics, 635 resident physicians in Southeast Switzerland were sent a questionnaire (response rate 52%). In a self-estimation, 79% of the queried physicians claimed to know the minimal medical requirements for drivers which are important in their specialty. Statistically significant differences existed between the specialties, whereby general practitioners most frequently claimed to know the minimal medical requirements (90%). It appears that the minimal medical requirements for drivers are well known to the queried physicians. Fifty-two percent of the physicians favored an expansion of continuing education in traffic medicine. Such an expansion was desired to a lesser extent by physicians without knowledge of the minimal requirements (p < 0.001). A clear majority of the medical professionals adjudged the legally prescribed periodic driving fitness examinations as being an expedient means to identify unfit drivers. A national standardized form for reporting potentially unfit drivers to the licensing authorities was supported by 68% of the responding physicians. Such a form could simplify and standardize the reports to the licensing authoritie

Novel microsatellite loci for Sebaea aurea (Gentianaceae) and cross-amplification in related species.

Premise of the study: Microsatellite loci were developed in Sebaea aurea (Gentianaceae) to investigate the functional role of diplostigmaty (i.e., the presence of additional stigmas along the style). Methods and Results: One hundred seventy-four and 180 microsatellite loci were isolated through 454 shotgun sequencing of genomic and microsatellite-enriched DNA libraries, respectively. Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were characterized, and 12 of them were selected to genotype individuals from two populations. Microsatellite amplification was conducted in two multiplex groups, each containing six microsatellite loci. Cross-species amplification was tested in seven other species of Sebaea. The 12 novel microsatellite loci amplified only in the two most closely related species to S. aurea (i.e., S. ambigua and S. minutiflora) and were also polymorphic in these two species. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the usefulness of this set of newly developed microsatellite loci to investigate the mating system and population genetic structure in S. aurea and related species

The examination and identification of bite marks in foods using 3D scanning and 3D comparison methods

Bite mark analysis offers the opportunity to identify the biter based on the individual characteristics of the dentitions. Normally, the main focus is on analysing bite mark injuries on human bodies, but also, bite marks in food may play an important role in the forensic investigation of a crime. This study presents a comparison of simulated bite marks in different kinds of food with the dentitions of the presumed biter. Bite marks were produced by six adults in slices of buttered bread, apples, different kinds of Swiss chocolate and Swiss cheese. The time-lapse influence of the bite mark in food, under room temperature conditions, was also examined. For the documentation of the bite marks and the dentitions of the biters, 3D optical surface scanning technology was used. The comparison was performed using two different software packages: the ATOS modelling and analysing software and the 3D studio max animation software. The ATOS software enables an automatic computation of the deviation between the two meshes. In the present study, the bite marks and the dentitions were compared, as well as the meshes of each bite mark which were recorded in the different stages of time lapse. In the 3D studio max software, the act of biting was animated to compare the dentitions with the bite mark. The examined food recorded the individual characteristics of the dentitions very well. In all cases, the biter could be identified, and the dentitions of the other presumed biters could be excluded. The influence of the time lapse on the food depends on the kind of food and is shown on the diagrams. However, the identification of the biter could still be performed after a period of time, based on the recorded individual characteristics of the dentition