AUTOPSY

 Itis the process of taking pieces of tissue from a

dead person for the purpose of examination or
investigation, in order to determine the cause of
death or extent of injury leading to the death of the
person
 Purposes:
 To determine or ascertain the cause of death of a person
 To determine the final diagnosis
 To investigate the cause of death or extent of injury
leading to the death of the person
 To preserve the tissues of the dead body for further
examination, investigation, and the future study as in
research or scientific study.
TYPES OF AUTOPSY DONE IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. According to its purpose

a. Routine hospital autopsy – done in private hospitals
for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of death of the
person especially if the cause cannot be determined
clinically or the cause of the death is problematic to the
clinician.

b. Medico-legal autopsy – done in the NBI or other

government institution for the purpose of prosecution.
2. According to the completeness of the procedure or
techniques

a. Partial – autopsy request involved only the

examination of a regions of the body as head only, thorax
only or abdomen only.

b. Complete – autopsy request involved in the

examination of the whole body from the head to foot for
complete diagnosis and investigation.
3. According to the manner of incision or opening the
cadaver

a. Y-shaped incision – the cadaver is open from both

shoulder regions down to the xiphoid area, and then
incised down to the pubis. This is commonly done in adult
and female cadaver.

b. Straight cut incision – the cadaver is open from the

midline of the body from suprasternal notch down to the
pubis. This is commonly done in children and infants.
4 Principal Techniques of Evisceration

1. Technique of R. Virchow
- organs are removed one by one
- this method has been used most widely, often with
some modifications.
- originally, the first step was to expose the cranial
cavity and from the back, spinal cord, followed by the
thoracic cavity, cervical cavity and abdominal organs.
2. Technique of C. Rokitansky
- this technique is characterized by in-situ dissection, in part
combined with en bloc removal.

3. Technique of A. Ghon
- thoracic and cervical organs, abdominal organs, and the
urogenital system are removed as organ blocks.

4. Technique of M. Letulle
- thoracic, cervical, abdominal and pelvic organs are removed
en masses and subsequently dissected into organ blocks.