Postmortem examinations are performed on humans as well as animals to determine the cause of death. The two primary types of postmortem examination are Autopsy and Necropsy.

While these procedures share some similarities, they differ in several significant ways. This article explores the variations between them.

Autopsy

An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination, is a medical examination of a deceased person’s body to determine the cause of death. The process is performed by a physician known as a pathologist or forensic pathologist.

Autopsies are usually performed at the request of a family member or legal authority, such as a coroner or medical examiner.

There are two main types of autopsy: clinical and forensic. A clinical autopsy is performed by a hospital on a patient who died while under medical care.

The process can help identify medical conditions and inform researchers about the effectiveness of treatment. A forensic autopsy, also known as a medicolegal autopsy, is conducted when a death is sudden, unexpected, or violent. The goal is to identify whether the person died of natural causes or whether the death was caused by criminal activity or negligence.

Necropsy

Necropsy is an autopsy performed on animals, primarily domestic pets and livestock. It is a physical examination of an animal’s body to determine the cause of death.

The process is often performed by a veterinarian and serves to identify whether a disease or injury contributed to an animal’s death. Similar to autopsies, necropsies are often performed at the request of a concerned owner or legal authority.

Similarities between Autopsy and Necropsy

Both autopsy and necropsy involve the examination of a deceased body to determine the cause of death. They share similar procedures and equipment, including dissection tools and tissue sampling for laboratory analysis.

The primary goal of both procedures is to provide medical or veterinary professionals and concerned families with information that can contribute to understanding the cause of death.

Differences between Autopsy and Necropsy

While autopsy and necropsy share some similarities, there are several significant differences between the procedures.

Subjects: Autopsies are performed on humans, while necropsies are performed on animals.
Legal Status: Autopsies are usually performed under legal mandates, such as a court order or by a coroner, while necropsies are done voluntarily by animal owners, or at the direction of a veterinarian looking to identify the cause of death.
Purpose: Autopsies are performed primarily to identify the cause of death and to provide information to help family members address health concerns for other family members. Necropsies examine cause of death in animals but also help to identify potential threats to the health and welfare of other animals, humans or to provide insight into the nature of diseases affecting specific animal species.
Procedures: Autopsies may involve thorough dissection, extensive laboratory studies examining body fluids and tissues using specialized equipment. Necropsies often involve histology, which involves microscopic tissue analysis to determine the precise cause of death.
Potential Outcomes: Autopsies may lead to the identification of medical malpractice, criminal activity, or other potentially litigious issues. Necropsies can inform breeders, veterinarians or farmers about factors that might inform improvements in livestock management and improve the health of the future generation of animals.

Conclusion

Autopsies and necropsies share a goal of determining the cause of death, however, between them are notable differences in terms of their subjects, legal status, purposes, procedures, and outcomes.

Autopsies aim to detect the cause of death in humans and investigate malpractice or other legal issues, while necropsy aims to detect cause of death in animals and to inform animal healthcare professionals about potential health threats and best practices for their management.

Despite these differences, both autopsies and necropsies provide crucial information needed to understand the cause of death and to improve health outcomes for humans and animals.