Forensic significance and inferential value of PMCT features in charred bodies: A bicentric study

•PMCT confirmed to be a valuable tool to be used before the forensic examination in charred bodies.•PMCT may help the forensic pathologist in the decision-making process on whether to perform the external examination alone rather than the full forensic autopsy.•Some features strongly suggest information of medico-legal interest regarding the manner of death but are highly nonspecific and deserve confirmation at the autopsy.•Some radiological findings provide information that can't be obtained at the autopsy that allow to differentiate between heat fractures and traumatic fractures.•PMCT may enable the selection of appropriate teeth for genetic testing. Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) is a diagnostic tool that provides essential information in forensic field. This radiological technique can play a pivotal role in personal identification, gunshot injuries, major traumatic injuries, child abuse, drowning asphyxia, embolism, COVID-19, sudden death, and charring cases. Post-mortem imaging can be used to investigate charred bodies as it allows the forensic examiner to distinguish traumatic and heat injuries. PMCT images can also provide additional information to determine whether the individual was alive at the time the fire started. In our bicentric study, we performed PMCT on 15 cases of charred bodies (10 males and 5 females) collected at the Florence University (Florence, Italy) and Catholic University of The Sacred Heart (Rome, Italy) before the external examination and/or full autopsy examination. In both the institutions, PMCT was performed through a Siemens SOMATOM 16-slice CT scanner (Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin, 2010). The aim of the current study was to obtain unambiguous information that could help determine the cause of death by comparing our PMCT findings with the most recent evidence in the scientific literature. Our investigations focused on the evaluation of bone texture and differences from traumatic fractures, leading also to an improvement in the interpretation of some aspecific findings (e.g., soot) from the integration of the radiological information with the autopsy results. The data obtained in our study support PMCT as a reliable diagnostic tool in the study of charred corpses and represent basic evidence for further applications of radiology in the forensic field. [Display omitted]