Virtopsy of a gravid using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

This article presents radiologic examinations of a deeply sedated with boid inclusion body disease (BIBD) as an adjunction to the subsequent necropsy. This method is known as virtopsy. The in the present case was gravid. Computed tomography (CT) allowed for the detailed depiction of a fetal skeleton at the rear end of the adult snake. Furthermore, tiny gas formation was detected inside the cranium of the fetus, which was deemed a radiologic sign for decomposition. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) delineated the soft tissue at high resolution. This article illustrates the use of CT and MRI for the examination of a gravid before necropsy and demonstrates the detection of "normal" postmortem findings leading to the confirmation of fetal death in situ.