Diagnostic Imaging for Postmortem Evaluation

Diagnostic imaging is commonly used as part of initial assessment when managing clinical cases and also has value in postmortem assessments in veterinary medicine. Collaborations between clinical veterinarians, radiologists, and pathologists are ever increasing, and pathologists can utilize antemortem diagnostic imaging to supplement gross necropsy. Gross necropsy is the visual and physical evaluation of a postmortem specimen with or without tissue and sample collection for histologic evaluation. Computed tomography and digital radiography have been used most frequently to augment autopsy in human medicine,and the value of virtopsy has been highlighted using a number of case examples that have potential translation to zoological medicine. The most significant challenges with incorporating routine diagnostic imaging into perimortem patient evaluation are logistical. Diagnostic imaging in the perimortem period in zoological medicine is currently underutilized despite the potential for more efficient and sensitive necropsy evaluation, application in forensic or litigation cases, and archiving.