Prior to autopsy, full-body MSCT was performed on the body of an unidentified elderly woman found trapped in a floodgate. Screening of the corpse with fluoroscopy revealed metallic fixation devices in the right tibia. Such findings are important in determining whether antemortem radiographs may exist. The MSCT findings suggested drowning as the cause of death. Fluid was visible within the esophagus, trachea, and bronchia. The pulmonary parenchyma had a "crazy paving" appearance with thickened interalveolar and intra-alveolar septa and alveolar congestion. Air-fluid levels were also noted in the frontal, maxillar, ethmoidal, and sphenoidal sinuses. Blunt injuries due to trapping of the body in the floodgate were also detected with MSCT, namely injuries to the cervical spine, sternum, and ribs. It was possible to distinguish vital from nonvital fractures through the presence or absence of soft tissue infiltration around the fracture site. In this case, osteoscopic methods were successfully transposed in order to estimate the age of an unidentified corpse, giving results similar to those of drug bone study; however, the acquisition of axial images must be millimetric; otherwise the spatial resolution is insufficient, making it impossible to analyze the region of interest. A drawback of MSCT is the necessity for a powerful reconstruction station, including a variety of software for specific reconstructions. 3 figures and 16 references