Postmortem interval determination in excised porcine skin using a novel ultrasound-based elasticity measurement device.

Abstract

Postmortem interval (PMI) estimation, a parameter critical for solving criminal cases, remains a challenge. It has been suggested that elasticity of decomposing tissue may show a relationship to PMI. We measured elasticity of excised porcine skin at regular intervals for 17 days using a novel ultrasound device. Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's pair-wise comparison test was performed on the elastic modulus values from each time-point. We found statistically significant differences (p < 0.0001) between the elastic modulus values. Pair-wise comparison showed that tissue measured with a PMI of 1-4, 6-9, 10-14, and 16-17 days can be distinguished from each other based on elastic modulus values. An overall trend of increasing elastic modulus values with time was also observed. Histology and H&E staining of skin samples at PMI of 1, 5, 8, and 12 days showed increasingly prominent fibre bundles which may explain the observed trend. The results of our study suggest that estimation of PMI using an ultrasound device is promising and should be explored further.