Spinal diastematomyelia: a means of identification of charred remains

The purpose of medico legal autopsy examination is the positive identification of the deceased in addition to the determination of the cause of death in most jurisdictions and additionally the manner of death in many jurisdictions. Notwithstanding the established and recognised value of DNA analysis in human identification, in the case of significant and extensive thermal injury in victims of fire, DNA analysis may prove difficult. Fire fatality identification can be assisted by alternative methods in this situation, including correlation between ante mortem and post mortem radiological investigations, identification of rare medical disease and or dental record examinations, where available. We describe a case where identification of charred human remains from a car fire was securely determined by demonstration of the presence of a rare congenital abnormality of the spinal cord, Diastematomyelia.