VIRTOPSY- A REVIEW

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VIRTOPSY- A REVIEW

• Dr. Arvind Kumar
• Senior Demonstrator
• Deptt. Of Forensic Medicine
• UCMS
• DELHI-110095

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VIRTOPSY

• Coined by Dr. Michael J Thali et al
• VIRTOPSY virtual Autopsy

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Essentials of virtopsy

• Multi-slice Computed Tomography (MSCT)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• 3-D/ CAD Photogrammetry

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Application of Virtopsy

• Atrium Mortis
• Relevant forensic patho-morphologic findings
• Forensic Vital reactions
• Reconstruction of Injuries
• Recapitulation and Visualization

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Varying density values in a 3D MSCT
reconstruction in a case of blunt trauma to the
head. 
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3D reconstruction of a skull fracture system from
the MSCT data in a case of a motor vehicle
accident with the victim having been run over by
a car
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Coronal T2 weighted MR image showing wound track
(arrows) through the brain in a suicidal gunshot
case
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Gadolinium enhanced MRI of patient with lateral
wall myocardial infarction. Four chamber view of
heart with bright signal in lateral wall of left
ventricle (LV).
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Figure showing comparison of spectrum from a
human brain with a PMI of about 520 hours (a)
and one with a PMI of 57 hours (b)
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Merits and Demerits

• Merits
• observer independent
• reproducible
• non invasive
• illustrative visualization
• forensic telemedicine consultation

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• Demerits
• MRI was unable to
• image coronary artery lesions
• differentiate thrombus from postmortem
  clot
• differentiate pulmonary oedema from
  pneumonic exudates
• detect perinatal cardiac malformations

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• lack of validation
• interpretative problems in advanced
  decomposition
• considerably high costs
• time consuming

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Conclusion

• The conventional method of Autopsy is still the
  gold standard
• The use of imaging technology should be an
  autopsy adjunct rather than a replacement

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Thank you