OBJECTIVES: Identify the main advances in minimally invasive techniques to perform autopsies in forensic medicine.

METHODS: A literature review was carried out in the following resources: PubMed, Dialnet, Scielo, and Redalyc databases; and ScienceDirect, ClinicalKey, and The New England Journal of Medicine websites. Twenty-three documents containing information on minimally invasive autopsy techniques were the final input.

RESULTS: Through needle-based tissue sampling, minimally invasive autopsy enables the collection of precise samples from key organs such as the brain, lungs, liver, heart, and placenta, providing valuable insights into pathological processes. Complemented by advanced imaging techniques like computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound, minimally invasive autopsy offers a comprehensive approach to visualizing anatomical structures and identifying high-sensitivity abnormalities. Additionally, histopathological analysis of tissue samples allows for a detailed examination of cellular morphology and the detection of microscopic lesions. Microbiological and molecular biology techniques offer insights into infectious agents and genetic anomalies, further enhancing diagnostic accuracy.

CONCLUSIONS: The results showed greater evidence of using computed tomography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, molecular biology, and, to a lesser extent, laparoscopy. Minimally invasive tissue sampling is a tool that has allowed expanding knowledge in the forensic field. Thus, techniques that include virtopsy, molecular biology, genetics, and microbiology will increase the number of procedures requested and support conventional autopsy in those cases where it is not feasible to perform them.