REVIEW Indications, advantages and limitations of perinatal postmortem imaging in clinical practice

Abstract Just as there is a range of paediatric imaging tech-niques available during life, a similar repertoire is available as part of the foetal and perinatal postmortem examination. In this article, we review the literature regarding the diagnostic utility of postmortem radiography, US, CT and MRI in this clinical setting. There is limited direct evidence on the diag-nostic utility of any of these techniques, apart from postmor-tem MRI, which when combined with other noninvasive investigations, has been shown to be highly sensitive and specific for many foetal postmortem diagnoses. The main disadvantages of postmortemMRI include the longer duration of imaging, the need for appropriate training in the interpre-tation of normal postmortem changes, and possible non-diagnostic imaging examinations in early gestation foetuses. As less-invasive autopsy becomes increasingly available, the true utility of these techniques will evolve, and clinical guide-lines for maximal diagnostic yield can be developed