Journal of Forensic Medicine ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (6): 517-530.DOI: 10.12116/j.issn.1004-5619.2026.460103

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Innovative Development and Future Prospects in Forensic Pathology

Ning-guo LIU()   

  1. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Key Laboratory of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai 200063, China
  • Received:2025-09-15 Online:2026-02-27 Published:2025-12-25

Abstract:

As a discipline with a long history, forensic pathology is tasked with determining the cause of death, clarifying the nature and manner of death, and reconstructing the truth of events based on postmortem examinations. It is dedicated to providing scientific, objective, and reliable evidentiary support for judicial proceedings, playing an irreplaceable role in combating crime, protecting human rights, and resolving social conflicts. In the context of rapid advances in new technologies, forensic pathology is facing historic opportunities and challenges as it transitions from traditional morphological diagnosis to multimodal, precision-driven, and intelligent approaches. From the perspective of technological innovation driving disciplinary evolution, this paper comprehensively reviews the current development status of forensic pathology in key technical fields, including microscopic diagnosis, molecular marker detection, imaging technologies, and intelligent biomechanical analysis. Focusing on innovative application areas such as postmortem interval (PMI) estimation, diatom testing in aquatic bodies, forensic diagnosis of anaphylactic shock and sudden cardiac death, molecular identification of traumatic brain injury and asphyxia, crime scene reconstruction of complex injuries, and contributions to emerging infectious diseases, it systematically elaborates on the application value and challenges of new technologies in improving the accuracy of cause of death determination, the objectivity of PMI estimation, and the scientific rigor of injury mechanism analysis. Furthermore, the paper prospects the future of forensic pathology in data-driven development, intelligent decision-making, and deep multidisciplinary integration, with emphasis on the construction of standardized systems, talent cultivation, ethical and legal frameworks, the formation of multimodal intelligent disciplinary paradigms, and the enhancement of societal value.

Key words: forensic pathology, virtual autopsy, postmortem biochemistry, artificial intelligence, multimodal fusion, review

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