Non-invasive methods in autopsy in practice of pathologists and forensic experts: from the appearance to the present day

Abstract

This paper presents a literature review evaluating virtopsy options, its development over time and the scope of application nowadays. To analyze the literature sources, we searched for the keyword “virtopsy” in Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, PubMed, and RSCI databases for the period 2006–2022, the results included 199 sources. Of these, 73 publications including original and review papers were selected for review. It is known that diagnosis verification and therapy correction are largely possible only thanks to the work of pathologists. The coincidence of the post-mortem diagnosis with the lifetime diagnosis opens up the possibility to optimize the course of therapy in similar cases. The literature analysis allows us to conclude that the level of imaging accuracy and frequency of successful interpretations of post-mortem radiological examinations have increased significantly, the fact being associated both with an improved quality of X-ray optical and scanning equipment, and formation of a relatively extensive database containing previously obtained findings. Thus, virtopsy is currently a powerful auxiliary tool applicable in post-mortem diagnosis. The combined use of classical autopsy and virtopsy can increase the accuracy of diagnosis, which, together with digital data processing and storage tools, will bring the work of specialists to a new level of interdisciplinary interaction.