Virtual Autopsy in Perinatal Pathology: Current Practices and the Need for Standardization

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Pathology
• Medical Imaging
• Forensic Science

Background:

• Fetal/neonatal autopsy is vital for investigating perinatal deaths but is often declined due to emotional, cultural, or religious reasons.
• Virtual autopsy (virtopsy) presents a noninvasive alternative, but lacks standardized protocols for widespread use.
• Existing virtual autopsy methods face challenges in imaging parameters, data interpretation, and clinical integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state and utility of virtual autopsy techniques in fetal and neonatal pathology.
• To identify key challenges hindering the adoption and comparability of virtual autopsy studies.
• To propose a framework for developing standardized virtual autopsy protocols.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of virtual autopsy techniques in fetal and neonatal contexts.
• Analysis of challenges related to imaging, interpretation, and clinical integration.
• Development of a framework for standardized protocol creation.

Main Results:

• Virtual autopsy shows promise as a noninvasive tool for perinatal loss evaluation.
• Lack of standardized protocols is a major barrier to adoption and comparability.
• Key challenges include optimizing imaging parameters, interpreting complex data, and integrating findings with clinical information.

Conclusions:

• Standardized virtual autopsy protocols are essential for improving reproducibility and clinical utility.
• Addressing current challenges will advance the field of fetal and perinatal pathology.
• This review provides a framework to guide the development of best practices in virtual autopsy.