One of the greatest advantages of performing PMCT on decomposed remains is the ability to quickly detect projectiles, other foreign bodies, broken bones, or other findings which may direct autopsy. In some cases, it may be advantageous to document this development in the brain without opening the cranial vault, as anatomic relationships are preserved for some time on PMCT in softened and even partially liquefied brains ( Figure 8). A second normal decomposition process easily identifiable on PMCT is liquefaction. An observer who is unfamiliar with postmortem imaging might misinterpret air in the bowel wall, mesentery, and portal system as evidence of ischemic bowel even though this PMCT finding is a common consequence of decomposition. Perhaps the most well known and commonly observed feature of decomposition on CT and x-ray is gas throughout all anatomic spaces as the result of putrefaction. Certain subtle and not so subtle postmortem changes are often apparent and should be recognized by an experienced observer to avoid misinterpretation of disease or injury.
However, decomposition rates depend on many factors relating back to the cause of death and the environmental factors to which the remains are subjected to. Postmortem changes begin at death and progress over time.
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