ABSTRACT
Irrespective of the suspected cause of death, dissection of the internal organs should be undertaken in a systematic and thorough manner. The temptation to begin with the organ system containing the suspected cause of death is best avoided. There are perhaps as many methods of dissecting the internal organs as there are pathologists performing autopsies. What is important, therefore, is not for every pathologist to undertake the dissection in an identical manner, but rather that each pathologist discovers the approach which works best and sticks to it. While on occasion the pathologist’s normal routine will need to be modified because of the diseases present, dissection of the internal organs can generally proceed in the same order in every case. With the adoption of a systematic approach, the pathologist can be confident that the same level of vigilance will be maintained throughout the autopsy.
