title: The fourth incision: a cosmetic autopsy incision technique.
abstract: Autopsy procedure includes thorough external examination as well as internal examination including opening of all the body cavities for proper visualization of all the visceral organs. As such, there remains incision marks with stitches which harts the sentiment of the already traumatized relatives of the deceased. Moreover, it looks odd especially in cases of otherwise healthy dead bodies. So, autopsy incisions should be such that, we can get maximum possible visualization of the body cavities, particularly the thorax and abdomen, and at the same time the incision as well as the stitch marks are also hidden. This article is aimed to describe few modifications in the autopsy incisions for opening the thorax and abdomen and also proper visualization of the neck structures during autopsy where the incisions and the stitches are kept hidden.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, Assam. drajpatowary@gmail.com
authors.forename: Amarjyoti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patowary
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy / Q000379:methods*; D004954:Esthetics; D006801:Humans