Objectives To compare prospectively maternal acceptance of fetal and neonatal virtuopsy with that of conventional autopsy and to determine the confidence with which magnetic resonance (MR) virtuopsy can be used to diagnose normality/abnormality of various fetal anatomical structures. Methods

Sacrococcygeal teratomas had characteristic MR imaging appearances that allowed a complete assessment in most fetuses. Because of MR imaging, the prenatal evaluation was changed in some patients and affected counseling of the parents and treatment. MR imaging is a valuable adjunct to obstetric sonography for the prenatal evaluation of sacrococcygeal teratoma.

Post-mortem imaging combined with systematic organ biopsies is highly acceptable among all parents independent of their religion and the method used for organ biopsy.

Postmortem whole-body fetal microfocus computed tomography gives noninvasive, detailed anatomic examinations that are achieved in minutes at high resolution. Microfocus computed tomography may be preferable to magnetic resonance imaging in early gestation fetuses and may offer an acceptable method of examination after fetal loss for parents who decline invasive autopsy. This will facilitate autopsy and subsequent discussions between medical professionals who are involved in patient care and counselling for future pregnancies.

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Although maceration may lead to failure in some cases, postmortem ultrasound reaches diagnostically acceptable levels for brain and abdominal organs, compared with conventional autopsy. It may therefore play a role as a first-line examination before other virtual autopsy techniques are indicated.

Objectives To compare the diagnostic usefulness of highfield with low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)and stereomicroscopic autopsy for examination of the heart in fetuses at or under 20 weeks' gestation. (95% CI,) and specificity 100. 0% (95% CI,. Eight fetuses out of 10 with congenital heart disease (CHD) were classified as having major CHD. Methods High-field MRI at 9.4 T was able to identify seven out of the eight cases of major CHD.Conclusion High-field MRI at 9.4 T seems to be an acceptable alternative approach to invasive stereomicroscopic autopsy for fetuses with CHD at or below 20 weeks' gestation.

This pilot study confirms the feasibility of PM-US for virtual autopsy as early as 11 weeks' gestation. This new technique shows high sensitivity and specificity in detecting congenital structural abnormalities as compared with conventional autopsy. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.