Postmortem angiography in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in a case of fatal hemorrhage due to an arterio-venous malformation in the brain

• Extensive use of forensic imaging in a postmortem case.
• Postmortem imaging was able to answer the question of both cause and manner of death.
• Virtual autopsy (virtopsy) can aid in forensic investigation.
• Virtopsy allows for cost-effective and rapid forensic examination.

Autopsy is the traditional gold standard for determining the cause and manner of death in a forensic death investigation. However, postmortem imaging plays an ever-growing role in preliminary examination, even replacing conventional autopsy in some cases. This case report presents a case of massive intra-axial brain hemorrhage due to an arterio-venous malformation. The cause and manner of death were exclusively determined by postmortem radiology. Based on radiological findings, the autopsy was considered redundant and cancelled by the public prosecutor.