Post-mortem MRI: a viable alternative to an autopsy

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood tests to establish the cause of death in fetuses and newborn babies is virtually as accurate as a standard autopsy, according to a paper published in The Lancet . The study, led by Dr Sudhin Thayyil and Professor Andrew Taylor of UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital, found that full-body MRI scans combined with non-invasive investigations were as effective as a standard autopsy in detecting major abnormalities that led to a young child's death. At a time of great distress, a minimally invasive autopsy could offer an acceptable alternative to a full autopsy for some families. Autopsies can help to confirm the cause of death in a child and establish the risk of susceptibility in siblings and family members. However, consent rates for fetal and neonatal autopsies have declined in the UK, despite a greater number of parents being offered the option. Although post-mortem MRI is becoming more common in the UK, and is more acceptable to parents and next of kin, few large studies have explored its effectiveness compared to a conventional autopsy. This study, funded by the Policy Research Programme, compared the accuracy of a standard autopsy (open dissection) with that of whole-body, post-mortem MRI with or without other minimally invasive methods.