Virtopsy – Radiology in Forensic Medicine

Summary During the last few years, modern cross‐sectional imaging techniques have pioneered forensic medicine. Magnetic resonance imaging and especially multislice computed tomography are becoming increasingly implemented into post‐mortem examinations. These non‐invasive techniques can augment and even partially replace a traditional autopsy. Beside the radiological imaging techniques, the methods of three‐dimensional surface scanning and photogrammetry are used for the documentation of the external findings of the body. To realize the goal of a minimal‐invasive autopsy, other tools like post‐mortem biopsy and post‐mortem angiography have been developed. In analogy to the clinical use of biopsy and angiography these techniques will permit post‐mortem tissue sampling for further analyses and enable post‐mortem examinations of the vascular system. With the use of these methods, a minimally invasive, objective and investigator‐independent documentation of forensic cases can be realized to reach quality improvements in forensic pathological investigations.