Abstract: Dead bodies found in the water are not all caused by drowning. The important task of forensic identification is to distinguish between entering the water before and after death, and to clarify the cause of death. In the practice of forensic identification, drowning is generally diagnosed on the basis of comprehensive considerations such as cadaveric signs, histopathological examinations, and diatom tests, with the exclusion of other causes of death. The emergence of virtopsy techniques provides new insights for the diagnosis of drowning. This paper reviews the post-mortem imaging studies of sinus and mastoid small chambers, respiratory tracts, lung tissues, gastrointestinal tracts and blood in the corpses in recent years. The value, potential of virtopsy in the diagnosis of drowning is discussed, with the prospects of its development direction.

Key words: forensic pathology, drowning, autopsy, virtopsy, review