GENDER DETERMINATION USING MAXILLARY SINUS DIMENSIONS - A DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHIC STUDY

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Paranasal sinus anatomy is complex and rather variable from person to person. Gender determination is an important step in human identication in forensic medicine. Radiographs are used in forensic medicine for the identication of humans especially in cases where the body is decomposed, fragmented, or burned. The maxillary sinus is the largest of the four paranasal sinuses and its measurements are valuable in studying sexual dimorphism. Maxillary sinuses remain intact, although the skull and other bones may be badly disgured in victims who are incinerated. Therefore, this study was undertaken to examine and measure dimensions of maxillary sinus as observed on maxillary sinus radiographs and propose the use of the same, as an aid in gender determination. Materials and Methods: Maxillary sinus views of 50 healthy patients (25 males and 25 females) were taken using Kodak 8000 C Digital and Panoramic and Cephalometric system (73 Kvp. 12mA, 10.7s) and measurements made using Master View 3.0 software. Results: The total studied sample composed of 50 patients; the results were based on two study groups: the male group (composed of 25 patients) and female group (composed of 25patients). In the current study, the size of the maxillary sinuses of the female was found to be smaller than those of men. The width of right maxillary sinus, the height of right maxillary sinus and left maxillary sinus and the total width across right and left maxillary sinus showed statistically signicant differences at a p value of .007, .020, .008 and .005 respectively. The present study showed that the accuracy rate for identication of males was 76% and for females was 60%. From the observations of our study, we found signicant differences in dimensionsConclusion: of maxillary sinuses between males and females. We therefore conclude that maxillary sinus dimensions are useful and can be used as an aid in gender determination.