Detecting illegal intra-corporeal cocaine containers: Which factors influence their density?

Publication date: September–October 2018
Source:Clinical Imaging, Volume 51
Author(s): Alexandra Platon, Bruno Herrera, Minerva Becker, Thomas Perneger, Laurent Getaz, Hans Wolff, Eric Lock, Olivier Rutschmann, Pierre-Alexandre Poletti
PurposeTo determine parameters related to hyperdensity (>40 HU) of intra-corporeal cocaine packets on low-dose CT (LDCT); hyperdensity increases detectability on abdominal radiographs.MethodsLDCT showing drug packets (n = 46) were analyzed for mean radiological density and packets volume. Following expulsion, packets weight and cocaine concentration were measured. Hypercompaction was defined as >0.9 g/cm³.ResultsPackets were hyperdense in 33 cases (72%). Mean compaction was 1.0 g/cm³, mean density 118.5 HU and mean cocaine concentration 44.2%. On multivariate analysis, only high compaction remained significantly related to hyperdensity (p = 0.001).ConclusionCompaction >0.9 g/cm³ is the only parameter significantly associated with hyperdense packets.



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