Unusual personal identification with characteristic features in chest roentgenograms

This case illustrates the unexpected aspects of radiographic personal identification. A skeletonized body without the neck and head, upper extremities, and feet was discovered on a seashore. No positive results were obtained from the remains concerning either the cause of death, the manner of death, or precise identification of the body. Roentgenologic examinations of the remains revealed a marked eminence of the manubrium sterni with characteristic crossing shadows. A successful partial superimposition of the ante- and postmortem lateral chest x-ray films helped to place the personal identification as that of a fisherman, 58 years old, missing in the sea for 21 days.