The future of pediatric and perinatal postmortem imaging

Area of Science:

• Forensic radiology and imaging science.

Background:

• Postmortem imaging applications are rapidly expanding.
• Established uses include identifying causes of death in trauma and ballistic cases, and drug mule detection.
• Evidence for pediatric and perinatal applications, particularly MRI of the central nervous system, is growing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the historical context and current challenges in postmortem imaging.
• To outline future directions for postmortem cross-sectional imaging.
• To address specific applications in perinatal and infant death investigations.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on postmortem imaging.
• Analysis of current technological and practical challenges.
• Discussion of future trends and specific case scenarios.

Main Results:

• Postmortem imaging is well-documented for adult forensic cases.
• Robust scientific evidence exists for neuroimaging in pediatric postmortem analysis.
• Specific challenges remain in perinatal and infant death investigations.

Conclusions:

• Postmortem cross-sectional imaging is a rapidly advancing field with significant forensic applications.
• Further research and standardized protocols are needed for perinatal and pediatric cases.
• The future involves integrating advanced imaging for comprehensive death investigation.