Micro-imaging in forensic medicine

Micro-radiology has a spatial resolution of a few microns and may be considered the bridge that connects diagnostic imaging and histopathology. The main advantages of micro-radiology techniques, such as micro-computed tomography, micro-magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound microscopy are that there is no need for optical transparency in the specimen and imaging is non-destructive. Despite remaining an emerging technology, their use in forensic medicine is growing because they permit the detection of tiny fractures or dislocations of bones, teeth or calcified tissues, the virtual analysis of the micro-architecture of nervous, pulmonary or cardiac tissues, and the 3D reconstruction of the spatial distribution of foreign bodies with a density higher than 1000 HU on the surface or inside biological specimens. In this overview, the prominent areas of practice of micro-imaging methods in the fields of forensic pathology, anthropology and ballistics are illustrated. © Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2017.