The Virtual Autopsy is an exciting and growing field thanks to the incredibly high-resolution scans you can achieve when you no longer have to worry about irradiating the subject. Not only are the datasets large and great for visualization, but they provide an easily reproducible reconstruction of the patient without worrying about decomposition, decay, or deterioration. A chapter on the subject was in Julie Steele’s ‘Beautiful Visualization‘, and an excerpt from that is now available on O’Reilly Radar.
Forensic documentation of postmortem findings is predominantly based on the same autopsy techniques and protocols that have been used for centuries. The main tools used are scalpels, verbal descriptions, and photographs.
A major disadvantage of this approach is that the documentation happens in a haphazard, subjective, and observer-dependent manner. Any findings that have not been documented are irreparably destroyed when the cadaver is sent to the crematory. Modern cross-sectional imaging techniques can overcome these shortcomings, as they provide datasets of cadavers that contain the findings in real dimensions and are storable for the future (Figures 18-1 and 18-2). The digitally acquired data can be referred to at any time as new questions arise, or may be sent to additional experts for a second opinion.
We named Beautiful Visualization a Resource Of The Week back in July, and it’s available still in the VizWorld store.
