VIRTOPSY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Abstract

Postmortem computer tomography (CT) came into practice of forensic medicine in the 1990s and has later been complemented with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A pioneer virtual autopsy was conducted in Germany in 1983. In the Czech Republic, this examination was first performed in 1993.

A typical examination requires about 30 min, with the most resource-demanding stage being the image data rendering. CT was shown to better capture skeletal structures, while MRI contrasting is superior in terms of visualising soft tissues. In the Czech Republic, CT-based virtopsy is legislated mandatory to document deaths inflicted by gunshots, road traffic and aviation accidents, high falls, occupational and explosive-related injuries, thermal and mechanical traumas, strangulation, drowning as well as to examine unidentified or decomposing bodies, deceased children and adolescents aged under 18.

CT scanning prior to conventional autopsy provides a forensic expert with guidance to reveal pathologies non-invasively in particular regions that are difficult to dissect or access. The advantage of virtopsy is the objective acquisition of data that can be re-examined, reinterpreted or juxtaposed with the results of conventional autopsy and easily recovered for possible further expertise. 

Keywords

virtual autopsy / computer tomography / virtopsy

References

[1] 1. Кильдюшов Е. М., Егорова Е. В., Буренчев Д. В. Современные возможности лучевой диагностики в судебной медицине. Судебная медицина. 2019;5(4):4–8. https://doi.org/10.19048/2411-8729-2019-5-4-4-8

[2] 2. Клевно В. А., Чумакова Ю. В. Виртопсия — новый метод исследования в практике отечественной судебной медицины. Судебная медицина. 2019;5(2):27–31.

[3] 3. Клевно В. А., Чумакова Ю. В., Павлик Д. П., Дуброва С. Э. Возможности виртуальной аутопсии при огнестрельной травме. Russian Journal of Forensiс Medicine. 2019;5(3):33–38.

[4] 4. Schumacher M., Oehmichen M., König H. G., Einighammer H., Bien S. Computer tomographic studies on wound ballistics of cranial gunshot injuries. Beitr Gerichtl Med. 1985(43):95–101.

[5] 5. Thali M., Dirnhofer R., Vock P. The virtopsy approach: 3D optical and radiological scanning and reconstruction in forensic medicine. 2010.

[6] 6. Ebert L. C., Ptacek W., Naether S., Fürst M., Ross S., Buck U., et al. Virtobot-a multi-functional robotic system for 3D surface scanning and automatic post mortem biopsy. Int J Med Robot. 2010;6(1):18–27.

[7] 7. Grabherr S., Grimm J., Dominguez A., Vanhaebost J., Mangin P. Advances in post-mortem CT-angiography. Br J Radiol. 2014;87(1036):20130488.

[8] 8. Hejna P., Šafr M., Ublová M. a kol. První virtuální pitva v České republice usvědčila vraha ze lži. Fol Soc Med Leg Slov. 2015;(5):11–16. (In Czech).

[9] 9. Vaněčková M., Seidl Z., Goldová B., et al. Post-mortem fetal magnetic resonance — examination technique. Česká Radiologie. 2008;62(4):384–387.

[10] 10. Urbanová P., Jurda M., Čuta M. Recording and analysis of digital data in anthropology. 1st ed. Brno: Masaryk University, 2015. 120 p.

[11] 11. Hejna P., Sokol M., Rejtar P., Horák V. Methods of visualization in forensic medicine. In: Hirt M., Vorel F., et al. Forensic Medicine. Part II. Prague, 2016. P. 204–208.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Frishons J., Novotny V., Rejtar P., Hejna P., Kislov M.A., Chumakova Y.V.