Autopsiad

Autopsiad is a term used to describe a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to postmortem examination and data integration intended to determine the cause and manner of death. It is a neologism that concatenates autopsy with the Latin suffix -iad to signal a systematic field of study rather than a single procedure.

The autopsiad concept extends traditional autopsy by embedding radiological imaging (computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging), histopathology, toxicology, microbiology, molecular genetics, and digital data analysis into the workflow. The aim is to create a more complete, etiologically robust record of death by correlating external findings, internal anatomy, laboratory results, and postmortem imaging.

Typical work in autopsiad involves external examination, internal dissection, and tissue sampling as in conventional autopsy, complemented by postmortem imaging, targeted toxicology screens, genetic testing when indicated, and documentation in integrated electronic records. It may be conducted in forensic or hospital settings and can include virtual autopsy (virtopsy) as a noninvasive variant.

Ethical and legal considerations are central to autopsiad. In many jurisdictions, consent from next of kin or subjects' prior directives governs the examination, especially for genetic analyses. Privacy, data security, cultural and religious beliefs, and the handling of incidental findings require careful policy and oversight.

Variants of the approach remain under development, and definitions of autopsiad vary by region and institution; some use the term to denote research-oriented postmortem data integration rather than routine practice.