A complete autopsy involves several distinct phases to ensure no detail is overlooked: External Examination

: Each organ is removed, weighed, and inspected for natural disease or trauma.

The pelvis is the most sexually dimorphic part of the human skeleton and is the single most reliable bone for determining sex from skeletal remains. Key features for sex estimation include the subpubic angle (wider in females), the shape of the greater sciatic notch (broader in females), and the overall pelvic inlet (heart-shaped in males, oval in females).

Granville, an obstetrician and gynecologic surgeon, found an unusual mass around Irtyersenu’s right ovary and concluded that she had died of ovarian cancer. For almost two centuries, this diagnosis was repeated in textbooks. However, in 2009 a team of scientists from University College London re‑examined her remains using modern molecular techniques. They extracted Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA and cell‑wall markers from her lungs, gall bladder, and thigh bones, conclusively showing that , not cancer. Her ovarian tumor was later identified as benign.

Categorized into five, including natural, homicide, suicide, accident, or unknown.

How does a pathologist approach a female decedent? While the external examination and the "Y-incision" are standard, the female autopsy diverges significantly in the pelvic and breast examination.

A unique aspect of the female autopsy is the thorough examination of the reproductive tract. This involves a detailed inspection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix, and vagina. Specimens for histology are collected to identify diseases like cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), or endometriosis.

Thin slices of organs are stained and viewed under a microscope to detect underlying cellular diseases, such as hidden cancers or microscopic heart damage.