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Differentiation of heroin and cocaine using dual-energy CT—an experimental study

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate if heroin and cocaine can be distinguished using dual-energy CT.

Materials and methods

Twenty samples of heroin and cocaine at different concentrations and standardized compression (SC) were scanned in dual-energy mode on a newest generation Dual Energy 64-row MDCT scanner. CT number, spectral graphs, and dual-energy index (DEI) were evaluated. Results were prospectively tested on six original samples from a body packer. Wilcoxon’s test was used for statistical evaluation.

Results

Values are given as median and range. Under SC, the CT number of cocaine samples (−29.87 Hounsfield unit (HU) [−125.85; 16.16 HU]) was higher than the CT number of heroin samples (−184.37 HU [−199.81; −159.25 HU]; p < 0.01). Slope of spectral curves for cocaine was −2.36 HU/keV [−7.15; −0.67 HU/keV], and for heroin, 1.75 HU/keV [1.28; 2.5 HU/keV] (p < 0.01). DEI was 0.0352 [0.0081; 0.0528] for cocaine and significantly higher than for heroin samples (−0.0127 [−0.0097; −0.0159]; p < 0.001). While CT number was inconclusive, all six original packs were correctly classified after evaluation of the spectral curve and DEI. In contrast to the CT number, slope of the spectral curve and DEI were independent of concentration and compression.

Conclusion

The slope of the spectral curve and the DEI from dual-energy CT data can be used to distinguish heroin and cocaine in vitro; these results are independent of compression and concentration in the measured range.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital Munich, Nussbaumstraße 20, 80336, Munich, Germany

    Jochen Grimm, Ramona Wudy, Edvard Ziegeler, Stefan Wirth, Maximilian F. Reiser & Michael Scherr

  2. Department of Medical Radiology, University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 46, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Jochen Grimm

  3. Center for Legal Medicine Lausanne and Geneva, Rue du Bugnon 21, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Jochen Grimm

  4. Bavarian State Criminal Police Office, Maillingerstrasse 15, 80636, Munich, Germany

    Michael Uhl

Authors
  1. Jochen Grimm
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  2. Ramona Wudy
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  3. Edvard Ziegeler
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  4. Stefan Wirth
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  5. Michael Uhl
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  7. Michael Scherr
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Correspondence to Jochen Grimm.

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The study was in accordance with local and international legislation.

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Grimm, J., Wudy, R., Ziegeler, E. et al. Differentiation of heroin and cocaine using dual-energy CT—an experimental study. Int J Legal Med 128, 475–482 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-014-0980-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-014-0980-6

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