New techniques for virtual autopsy

IntroductionVirtual autopsy (virtopsy) was born from the desire to implement new techniques in radiology for the benefit of forensic science. There have been great improvements in Multislice Computed Tomography (MSCT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology, increasing both contrast and resolution and offering unparalleled possibilities of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. The postmortem application of the modern cross-section techniques such as (MSCT) and (MRI) is becoming increasingly important to assess the cause of death in a minimal invasive manner. This is thought to serve as an alternative to traditional autopsy in selected cases when traditional autopsy as still being the gold standard of postmortem investigation is objectionable from different reasons.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study is to introduce the concept of virtual autopsy and its new techniques. Also, to spot light on the effectiveness of those new techniques through demonstrating cases that had been investigated by using new techniques of virtual autopsy and correlate the results with that of conventional autopsy.ConclusionDocumentation by radiological imaging is observer-independent, objective, and non-invasive. Digitally stored data is recalled at will and provide fresh, intact topographical and anatomico-clinical reconstruction years after organic remains will have decayed and disappeared. Quality control and expert supervision become possible in a new manner, as well as image transmission and forensic “telemedicine” consultation. Image and data processing allows two and three-dimensional views of forensic and anatomical findings, these reconstructed computed images allowing objective visualization and recapitulation of forensic results, MSCT with its high spatial resolution and quantitative density measurements, MRI allowing tissue differentiation based on differential contrast weighting.