The Grief and Mourning Quiz

Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

View Full Profile

Autopsy Special Procedures

Pictures of findings at the autopsy may be taken for future reference. Photographic documentation is performed for many autopsies, particularly forensic autopsies for which the autopsy record may be important for a court case. In teaching hospitals, photographs of organs or tissues maybe be taken for research or instructional purposes. Organs may be preserved and stored in formalin for further examination, sampling for microscopy, presentation at conferences, or archiving for medical student training, depending on the particular situation and family consent.

Sometimes, the pathologist will order special laboratory studies to be carried out on tissue samples taken during an autopsy. These may include:

• cultures or tests for genetic material to identify infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, parasites, or fungi)



• chemical analysis for metabolic abnormalities



• genetic studies to identify disease-associated mutations or heritable diseases



• toxicology studies to identify drugs, poisons, or esxposures

Additionally, tissue may be frozen and stored for future diagnostic or research purposes.