Digital Autopsy (Virtopsy) in India: Steps taken and journey ahead

Medicolegal/forensic autopsy is recognized as the gold standard for determining the cause and manner of death etc. The traditional/conventional medicolegal autopsy techniques worldwide comprise of opening of all body cavities and taking the visceral organs for detailed dissection. These methods are highly subjective and sometimes unable to fully elucidate the real picture as well as against the beliefs of most of the religious groups and emotions of the relatives of the deceased who often resist conduction of autopsy more so in Indian scenario. The development of Digital X-ray, Post-mortem computed tomography, MRI and other medical imaging technologies provide a non-invasive/minimally invasive autopsy approach for the forensic examination popularly referred as Virtual Autopsy/Virtopsy. However, to be scientifically correct I would prefer to use the term “Digital autopsy” i.e. conducting autopsy with digital means. This procedure is investigator-independent, highly objective and being non-invasive, takes care of the religious issues. It may even be used to screen the dead bodies before cremation because digitally stored data can be used at any time later to provide patho-anatomic details and thus contributes to the concept of humanitarian forensics.

This write up is an attempt to showcase how we were able to place forensic radiology/digital autopsy services by taking tiny steps, overcoming various challenges faced, researches undertaken to understand its utility during this more than a decade long journey. Further it will delve deeper into the intricacies involved in placing these services, advantages and disadvantages of digital autopsy, legal issues involved, challenges ahead and try to address the apprehensions so that the younger generation can strive to place digital autopsy services at their respective place of work.