Frontal Sinus as an aid in Gender Identification in Forensic Dentistry: A Retrospective Study using Cone Beam Computed Tomography

Abstract

Aim The aim of our study was to measure the frontal sinus morphology that could aid us in gender determination and also to assess the difference in measurements between the right and left frontal sinus. Materials and methods A retrospective study was done using 100 cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images (50 males and 50 females) matched with age and gender with full field of view (FOV). The examinations were carried out using Promax 3DMid (Planmeca Oy., Helsinki, Finland) CBCT unit. The frontal sinus was assessed in coronal, sagittal, and axial planes, and the maximum measurements in each section were recorded. The results to compare the right and left frontal sinus were analyzed using paired t-tests, and independent Student's t-test was used to compare the difference in measurements of frontal sinus between males and females. Results We found that the left side of the frontal sinus was bigger than the right side, and while comparing between the genders, it was found that the measurements were greater in males. Statistically significant results were obtained on comparing between the sides and gender. Conclusion As mentioned in previous studies, frontal sinus measurements are significantly higher in males compared with females which can, therefore, be used in gender identification in cases of mass disasters. Clinical significance Frontal sinus measurements can be used as an adjunct in gender identification in mass disasters and with advances in technology. Cone beam computed tomography, in addition to providing accurate measurements, has overcome all the disadvantages with two-dimensional imaging. How to cite this article Denny C, Jacob AS, Ahmed J, Natarajan S, Binnal A, Sujir N. Frontal Sinus as an aid in Gender Identification in Forensic Dentistry: A Retrospective Study using Cone Beam Computed Tomography. World J Dent 2018;9(1):34-37.

Contribution of Morphology of Frontal Sinuses (Linear and Volumetric Measurements) to Gender Identification Based on Cone Beam Computed Tomography Images (CBCT): A Systematic Review

“…Of the eight articles identified, three reported data from an Indian population, two from a Brazilian population, and one from Saudi Arabian, Romanian, and Egyptian populations. In all articles, the male-to-female sample ratio was 1:1, except for the study by Sangavi et al (2021), who did not report their sample composition [ 17 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

“…Of the eight articles identified, the majority of them assessed samples of more than 100 participants, except for Benghiac et al’s (2017) and Motawei et al’s (2016), who reported results of 30 and 53 participants, respectively. A total of 718 participants (359 males and 359 females) were retrieved from the included studies ( Table 1 ) [ 17 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Since each article was analysed independently and there was heterogeneity between them, it was impossible to perform a meta-analysis.…”

“…Of the eight articles identified, three reported that measurements of the morphology of the frontal sinuses was a highly accurate method that correctly identified an individual’s gender [ 17 , 20 , 21 ], while the other five articles claimed that measuring specific volumetric and linear parameters of frontal sinuses can be utilised as a reliable method in the identification process [ 21 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

“…Additionally, of the eight articles identified, two reported findings evaluating only volumetric measurements of the frontal sinuses [ 20 , 24 ], two reported findings calculating only linear measurements of the frontal sinuses [ 22 , 25 ], and four reported findings by combining both linear and volumetric measurements of the frontal sinuses (MS) [ 17 , 21 , 23 , 26 ].…”

“…Three-dimensional data were registered using diverse types of software programs, e.g., SOREDEX software [ 22 ], Planmeca Romexis software [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ], InVesalius program [ 17 ], Anatomage In vivo 5.1 software [ 21 ], and ITK-SNAP software (version 2.1.4) [ 20 ].…”