The current state of forensic imaging - post mortem imaging

doi:10.1007/s00414-025-03461-x

Review

. 2025 May;139(3):1141-1159.

doi: 10.1007/s00414-025-03461-x. Epub 2025 Mar 24.

The current state of forensic imaging - post mortem imaging

Fabrice Dedouit¹, Mathilde Ducloyer², Jamie Elifritz^{3

4}, Natalie L Adolphi⁴, Grace Wong Yi-Li⁵, Summer Decker⁶, Jonathan Ford⁶, Yanko Kolev⁷, Michael Thali⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Forensic Pathology, Bâtiment Raymonde Fournet, Place du Dr Baylac, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, 31700, France. dedouit.f@chu-toulouse.fr.
² Department of Forensic Pathology, Nantes University, University Hospital, Bd Jean Monnet, Nantes, F- 44000, France.
³ Forensic Radiology Group, Anderson, SC, USA.
⁴ Office of the Medical Investigator, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
⁵ Department of Radiology, Penang General Hospital, Jalan Residensi, Georgetown, Penang, 10450, Malaysia.
⁶ Departments of Radiology and Pathology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 1450 San Pablo Street, Suite 3500, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
⁷ Department of General Medicine, Forensic Medicine and Deontology, Medical University - Pleven, 1 St Kliment Ohridski str., Pleven, 5800, Bulgaria.
⁸ University Zurich, Virtopsy Group, Switzerland.

PMID: 40126650
PMCID: PMC12003538
DOI: 10.1007/s00414-025-03461-x

Review

The current state of forensic imaging - post mortem imaging

Fabrice Dedouit et al. Int J Legal Med. 2025 May.

. 2025 May;139(3):1141-1159.

doi: 10.1007/s00414-025-03461-x. Epub 2025 Mar 24.

Authors

Fabrice Dedouit¹, Mathilde Ducloyer², Jamie Elifritz^{3

4}, Natalie L Adolphi⁴, Grace Wong Yi-Li⁵, Summer Decker⁶, Jonathan Ford⁶, Yanko Kolev⁷, Michael Thali⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Forensic Pathology, Bâtiment Raymonde Fournet, Place du Dr Baylac, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, 31700, France. dedouit.f@chu-toulouse.fr.
² Department of Forensic Pathology, Nantes University, University Hospital, Bd Jean Monnet, Nantes, F- 44000, France.
³ Forensic Radiology Group, Anderson, SC, USA.
⁴ Office of the Medical Investigator, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
⁵ Department of Radiology, Penang General Hospital, Jalan Residensi, Georgetown, Penang, 10450, Malaysia.
⁶ Departments of Radiology and Pathology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 1450 San Pablo Street, Suite 3500, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
⁷ Department of General Medicine, Forensic Medicine and Deontology, Medical University - Pleven, 1 St Kliment Ohridski str., Pleven, 5800, Bulgaria.
⁸ University Zurich, Virtopsy Group, Switzerland.

PMID: 40126650
PMCID: PMC12003538
DOI: 10.1007/s00414-025-03461-x

Abstract

Over the last few decades, forensic imaging has become an essential part of current forensic practice. The aim of this 4-part review is to provide a comprehensive overview of forensic imaging over the first 25 years of this century. After a brief historic review, this first part details the advantages and limitations of post-mortem imaging for the indications most frequently encountered in daily practice.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: Non-applicable (review). Consent to participate and publish: Non-applicable (review). Informed consent: Non-applicable (review). Compliance with Ethical Standards: Non-applicable (review). Conflict of interest: Jamie Elifritz is employed by Forensic Radiology Group.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Illustration of the main indications and benefits of post-mortem imaging in the most common forensic situations

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. Turnbull A, Martin J, Osborn M (2015) The death of autopsy? Lancet 386:2141. 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01049-1 - PubMed
1. Shojania KG, Burton EC (2008) The vanishing nonforensic autopsy. N Engl J Med 358:873–875. 10.1056/NEJMp0707996 - PubMed
1. Bolliger SA, Thali MJ, Ross S et al (2008) Virtual autopsy using imaging: bridging radiologic and forensic sciences. A review of the virtopsy and similar projects. Eur Radiol 18:273–282. 10.1007/s00330-007-0737-4 - PubMed
1. Thali MJ, Jackowski C, Oesterhelweg L et al (2007) VIRTOPSY– The Swiss virtual autopsy approach. Leg Med 9:100–104. 10.1016/j.legalmed.2006.11.011 - PubMed
1. Thali MJ, Yen K, Schweitzer W et al (2003) Virtopsy, a new imaging horizon in forensic pathology: virtual autopsy by postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)--a feasibility study. J Forensic Sci 48:386–403 - PubMed

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[1] Turnbull A, Martin J, Osborn M (2015) The death of autopsy? Lancet 386:2141. 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01049-1 - PubMed

[2] Turnbull A, Martin J, Osborn M (2015) The death of autopsy? Lancet 386:2141. 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01049-1 - PubMed

[3] Shojania KG, Burton EC (2008) The vanishing nonforensic autopsy. N Engl J Med 358:873–875. 10.1056/NEJMp0707996 - PubMed

[4] Shojania KG, Burton EC (2008) The vanishing nonforensic autopsy. N Engl J Med 358:873–875. 10.1056/NEJMp0707996 - PubMed

[5] Bolliger SA, Thali MJ, Ross S et al (2008) Virtual autopsy using imaging: bridging radiologic and forensic sciences. A review of the virtopsy and similar projects. Eur Radiol 18:273–282. 10.1007/s00330-007-0737-4 - PubMed

[6] Bolliger SA, Thali MJ, Ross S et al (2008) Virtual autopsy using imaging: bridging radiologic and forensic sciences. A review of the virtopsy and similar projects. Eur Radiol 18:273–282. 10.1007/s00330-007-0737-4 - PubMed

[7] Thali MJ, Jackowski C, Oesterhelweg L et al (2007) VIRTOPSY– The Swiss virtual autopsy approach. Leg Med 9:100–104. 10.1016/j.legalmed.2006.11.011 - PubMed

[8] Thali MJ, Jackowski C, Oesterhelweg L et al (2007) VIRTOPSY– The Swiss virtual autopsy approach. Leg Med 9:100–104. 10.1016/j.legalmed.2006.11.011 - PubMed

[9] Thali MJ, Yen K, Schweitzer W et al (2003) Virtopsy, a new imaging horizon in forensic pathology: virtual autopsy by postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)--a feasibility study. J Forensic Sci 48:386–403 - PubMed

[10] Thali MJ, Yen K, Schweitzer W et al (2003) Virtopsy, a new imaging horizon in forensic pathology: virtual autopsy by postmortem multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)--a feasibility study. J Forensic Sci 48:386–403 - PubMed

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The current state of forensic imaging - post mortem imaging

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The current state of forensic imaging - post mortem imaging

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