Fatal cocaine body packer syndrome depicted on antemortem and postmortem CT: A case report

Abstract

We herein present a forensic case wherein sequential computed tomography (CT) images of fatal “cocaine body packer syndrome” were shown on antemortem CT (AMCT) and postmortem CT (PMCT). While passing through customs at an international airport, a man was detained. Abdominal X-ray revealed multiple capsule-like structures inside the bowel, and the capsules were confirmed to be cocaine using an onsite immunoassay drug-screening device. He was admitted to the hospital under police surveillance and subjected to AMCT, which revealed multiple capsules in his colon. He died 2 days after admission; he was diagnosed with drug poisoning, which is referred to as “body packer syndrome” A forensic autopsy was conducted using PMCT, toxicology, and histology. This case offered a unique chance to photograph interior cocaine drug containers using AMCT and PMCT. PMCT outlined a specific location of the suspected ruptured cocaine capsules that were not identified on AMCT and before autopsy, thereby enabling a speculative hypothesis regarding accidental versus suicidal death.