Abstract: Virtopsy is a non-invasive technique to reconstruct 3 dimensional(3-D) images of human organs and tissues using digitized radiographic imaging and may provide clues for forensic identification of the cause and manner of death.Because of its nature of minimally invasive,objective,and accurate,virtopsy has recently been a research focus of forensic pathology in developed countries.In this review article,the authors will discuss the principle,advantage,disadvantage,and recent proceeding of virtopsy as well as its potential application in forensic practice in China.

Key words: forensic pathology, virtopsy, digital radiographic image, non-invasive