Learning from the living to diagnose the dead – parallels between CT findings after survived drowning and fatal drowning

Abstract

A case of survived drowning is presented where CT findings of the lungs were in keeping with several findings seen on post-mortem CT (PMCT) examination after fatal drowning. These findings include interlobular septal thickening, peribronichal cuffing, mosaic pattern ground glass opacities, and perivascular nodular ground glass opacities. The absence of confounding normal post-mortem changes allows for a discussion on subtle differences between findings related to aspiration and pulmonary edema after drowning. This case represents a learning opportunity for radiologists and pathologists challenged by the complex lung findings after drowning on PMCT.