CT Scan of Maxillary Sinus: A Useful Tool for Forensic Identification

The maxillary sinus is the largest paranasal sinus and represents a complex anatomical structure with significant inter-individual variations. Measurements of the maxillary sinuses in computed tomography (CT) scans can be used for determination of age and gender when other methods are inconclusive. This prospective study was conducted in the department of Forensic Medicine, RNT Medical College, Udaipur, Rajasthan during the year of 2014–15. The 68 human crania were collected from the department of anatomy and forensic medicine of different medical colleges of Rajasthan and the crniomatry of the right and left both maxilary sinuses were done with the help of a high resolution 3D-CT scanner. The height, width, depth and volume of maxillary sinuses were measured and the results were analyzed to conclude the usability in forensic identification. In the present study, volumes of maxillary sinuses tends to increase with increasing age, even after attaining puberty. The volume of maxillary sinus was found statistically significant (p<0.05) for gender identification. The volumetric parameters of both maxillary sinus were found statistically significant for gender identification. The present study shows that the 3D-CT Scan imaging is useful in volumetric assessment of paranasal sinuses with precise measurements and greater accuracy which can act as a forensic tool for identification of skeletal remains.