1. VIRTOPSY- A REVIEW Dr. Arvind Kumar Senior Demonstrator Deptt. Of Forensic Medicine UCMS DELHI-110095

2. VIRTOPSY Coined by Dr. Michael J Thali et al VIRTOPSY= virtual + Autopsy

3. Essentials of virtopsy Multi-slice Computed Tomography (MSCT) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy 3-D/ CAD Photogrammetry

4. Application of Virtopsy Atrium Mortis Relevant forensic patho-morphologic findings Forensic Vital reactions Reconstruction of Injuries Recapitulation and Visualization

5. Varying density values in a 3D MSCT reconstruction in a case of blunt trauma to the head.

6. 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

7. Coronal T2 weighted MR image showing wound track (arrows) through the brain in a suicidal gunshot case

8. 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).

9. 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)

10. Merits and Demerits Merits * observer independent * reproducible * non invasive * illustrative visualization * forensic telemedicine consultation

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

12. * lack of validation * interpretative problems in advanced decomposition * considerably high costs * time consuming

13. 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

14. Thank you