title: [Identification of unknown cadavers in forensic medicine practice].
abstract: 50 unknown dead were identified at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Mainz (Germany) in the years between 1985 and 1993, most of them by dental records, x-ray comparison and morphological findings. This is equivalent to an overall success rate of 94.3%. In most cases unnatural causes of death were established (suicide, accident, and homicide). The male to female rate was more than 2:1. The increase of the number of unknown corpses since 1985 from 5% to nearly 10% of the total number of autopsies may be caused by increasing mobility and anonymity of the population.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Riepert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schweden
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Urban
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D013405:Suicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
vernacular_title: Zur Identifizierung unbekannter Leichen in der rechtsmedizinischen Praxis.