The postmortem determination of CK isozymes in the pericardial fluid in various causes of death.

The authors have studied the CK isozyme pattern in the pericardial fluid of 100 cadavers autopsied in the Anatomic Forensic Institute of Granada. The samples were classified into several groups according to the cause of death: --Multiple trauma with thoracic contusion --Pneumonia and pulmonary embolism --Mechanical asphyxia --Cranio-cerebral trauma --Acute haemorrhage --Myocardial infarction --Others. The results showed that the CK isozyme pattern of pericardial fluid provides useful postmortem information of cardiac "status", adding to the diagnostic potential of CK isozymes.