Peculiar radiopaque foreign body in the upper aerodigestive tract in a newborn corpse from the Indian Ocean

Abstract

The authors present a single case report illustrating on the body of a newborn found on the seashore of the island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, the diagnostic difficulties inherent in the detection during the post-mortem scan of a voluminous highly radiopaque foreign body in the upper aerodigestive tract. The internal examination has highlighted black sand in abundance in the upper aerodigestive tract. The CT scanning of a sand sample from the lagoon shore confirmed its high-density radiopaque nature. In a specialized laboratory, the magnetic part of this sample was investigated by means of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The mineral composition is dominantly magnetite (Fe₃O₄) but contrary to pure magnetite, a relevant fraction of titanium was detected.

This case demonstrates how post-mortem CT may lead to inappropriate diagnosis and highlights the interest of the physicochemical study in the forensic context.