Life Science Journal 2013;10(1s) http://www.lifesciencesite.com 165 Evaluation the postmortem diagnostic accuracy of needle necropsy in comparison with conventional autopsy in heart and lungs samples of the cadaver Masoud Ghadipasha 1 , Mohammad-reza Karami-shahrokhi 2 , Bahram Samadi-rad 3 * , Yashar Hashemi-aghdam 4 , Mohammad Zare-nezhad 5 , Arya Hedjazi 6 , Amirmohammad Kazemifar 7 , Jaber Gharedaghi 8 1 Assistant Professor of Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran 2 Pathologist, Legal Medicine Organization, Kerman, Iran 3 Assistant Professor of Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran 4 MD, Young Researchers club, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran 5 Member of Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran 6 Assistant Professor of Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran 7 Assistant Professor of Forensic Medicines, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences 8 Assistant Professor of Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran *Corresponding Author: Bahram Samadi-rad; E-mail: Dr_samadirad@msn.com Abstract: Introduction: An autopsy includes a detailed external examination as well as dissection of organs from the different body cavities –cranial, thoracic, abdominal and pelvic. Needle necropsy is a method in which different tissue samples are taken from body after death without skin incision, opening the chest and abdomen or making any disfiguration in body. We tried to evaluate the reliability of needle necropsy and concordance between postmortem diagnostic accuracy of needle necropsy and conventional autopsy in cadavers. Material and Methods: In a cross sectional study, we studied the samples that were taken from different organs of 100 cadavers like heart and lungs with conventional open biopsy and needle necropsy in The Legal Medicine Organization of Kerman in Iran from 2009-2011. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software version 16. Results: In Heart samples, the sensitivity and PPV of needle necropsy was 100% in Congestion, Acute MI, Autolysis and Carditis diagnosis, but the accuracy was 0% in diagnosis of CAD and Valvular Diseases. In 31 cases there were no heart diseases, in which PPV was 91.2% in needle necropsy.In lung samples there was high rate of sensitivity and concordance in diagnosis of the problems like pulmonary hypertension, autolysis, anthracosis and pulmonary edema in needle biopsy, but these rates were lower in ARDS diagnosis. In 11 cases there was no lung disease, in which PPV was 84.1%. Conclusion: On the basis of our findings, results of needle necropsy is reliable enough in the cases with generalized involvement of the organ, but it is not sufficient in the focal involvements which are located in limited anatomical positions; like coronary artery diseases and valvular heart diseases. This study showed that the sensitivity rate and concordance rate of needle necropsy and conventional open biopsy are similar to each other and are reliable for diagnosing. [Masoud Ghadipasha, Mohammad-reza Karami-shahrokhi, Bahram Samadi-rad , Yashar Hashemi-aghdam, Mohammad Zare-nezhad, Arya Hedjazi, Amirmohammad Kazemifar, Jaber Gharedaghi. Evaluation the postmortem diagnostic accuracy of needle necropsy in comparison with conventional autopsy in heart and lungs samples of the cadaver. Life Sci J 2013;10(1s):165-169] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com . 26 Key words: Autopsy, Needle necropsy, Cadavers Introduction: Twenty percent of all deaths are subjected to medico-legal autopsies. In many countries, including the UK, where relatives' consent is required, however, including the UK, clinical autopsy rates have been declining since the 1950s. In the UK, even in teaching hospitals, the clinical autopsy rate has fallen to only 10% of deaths or less. (1) What is autopsy? The term ‘autopsy’ literally means to ‘see for oneself’, and is synonymous with the terms ‘postmortem’, post-mortem examination’ and ‘necropsy’. An autopsy includes a detailed external examination as well as dissection of organs from the different body cavities –cranial, thoracic, abdominal and pelvic. Examinations restricted to a particular body cavity or to sampling of the organs in the opened body with a biopsy needle are also regarded as autopsy examinations. What is needle necropsy? Needle necropsy is a method in which different tissue samples are taken from body after death without skin incision, opening the chest and abdomen or making any disfiguration in body. Importance of conventional non-coronial hospital autopsy: Traditional autopsy has changed little in the past century, consisting of external examination and evisceration, dissection of the major organs with