Sexual dimorphism of maxillary sinus dimensions and bizygomatic distance using CT scan in the South Indian Population

Identification of the body remains of an unknown person starts with the identification of the sex and then comes age estimation and further precise identifications. In some instances, like natural calamities, the typically used bones such as the skull and pelvic bones are often recovered in a fragmented or destroyed state, thus interfering with sex determination using them. These special situations demand denser bones like the maxillary sinus and the zygomatic bone to identify sex. This study aims to correlate sexual dimorphism with the maxillary sinus dimensions and the bizygomatic distance. The measurements were done using CT (Computed Tomography) scans of 92 males and 92 females retrieved from PACS (Picture archiving and communication system).

Among the parameters of the maxillary sinus, the length, width, height, and volume of the right and left maxillary sinus showed statistically significant differences between the sexes while the intermaxillary distance and the anterolateral angle of the maxillary sinus were found to have poor discriminant ability to differentiate between the sexes. The bizygomatic distance was found to have the best discriminative power.

The discriminant function proposed in the present study is found to have a statistically significant discriminant ability with good sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, it can be employed as a reliable tool for sex determination.