Résumé
•Interpretation and communication of post-mortem computed tomography are enhanced by high-level three-dimensional imaging.•Three-dimensional imaging improves lesion analysis, autopsy planning, and forensic reporting.•Interpretation of post-mortem computed tomography remains limited by technical constraints and cognitive biases.•The integration of artificial intelligence and enhanced spatial resolution offer prospects for improving post-mortem computed tomography.
Three-dimensional (3D) post-processing is now an essential part of postmortem forensic computed tomography (CT) imaging. Recent advances in this field include the development of sophisticated reconstruction algorithms, such as global illumination rendering. These tools enable the photorealistic, synthetic, and selective visualization of complex anatomical information with high degrees of accuracy. This technology is particularly valuable in bone injury cases because it facilitates lesion mechanism analysis. 3D representations are valuable tools in forensic investigations, including radiological analysis, communicating results, preparing autopsies, and presenting forensic findings in court. Several factors influence the quality of the final 3D representation, including the technical parameters of CT data acquisition and the appropriate use of post-processing software. This review provides an overview of the key factors that determine the quality of 3D forensic CT images, examines their applications and limitations, and discusses future directions.