VIRTOPSY: One step forward in the field of Forensic Medicine

Virtual autopsy or more popularly known virtopsy is a scalpel free procedure of autopsy carried out using modern imaging techniques. Here, there is no need of any dissection of the body for opening the body cavities or dissection of the different organs of the body. Using the different imaging techniques, which provide a complete three dimensional view of the inside as well as outside of the body, all the vital information like position and dimensions of the wounds, or other pathological conditions in the body can be known and documented without use of any scalpel. The technique could offer an alternative to the standard invasive procedure that upsets many families and is prohibited by some religions, the developers say.

Imaging techniques used:

• Multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) and
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – which visualise the interior of the body for collection of all the data in details in regards of condition of different organs. One can examine the part of the body in slice by slice in different planes according to the requirement of the situation.
• 3-D surface scan used in the automobile designing is used to map the exterior of the body. It gives and documents the three dimensional image of the body surface area in details.
• Magnetic resonance imaging spectroscopy for estimation of time since death by measuring metabolites in the brain emerging during post-mortem decomposition.

Advantages:

• Most effective in study of the wounds including the matching of the probable weapon. The wound can be studied without disturbing the body architecture.
• No scalpel method, so no hazard of infections from the blood or other tissue fluids.
• No mutilation of the body, so, can be examined again without any autopsy artifacts.
• The data is stored in digital format, so can be transmitted to any part of the world easily.
• Less time consuming and body can be released immediately after the scanning.
• Better acceptance for the relatives of the diseased and also by the religious customs as incisions are used.
  

Disadvantages:

• Insufficient data base of comparative study of virtopsy and conventional autopsy.
• It is not possible to distinguish all the pathological conditions with this technique.
• Collection of sample for histopathological and the toxicological samples from internal organs is not possible.
• Can not speak about the infection status.
• Difficult to differentiate antemortem or the postmortem wounds.
• Difficult to appreciate the postmortem artifacts.
• Difficult to appreciate the colour changes.
• Small tissue injury may be missed.
• In our scenario, it is not possible to provide these types of investigations to all the living persons, so how far it will be practical to start with the same for the dead is questionable as in our setup, deads come last in the priority list.

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