Sex identification by maxillary sinus measurements using MDCT : a study among Malay adults in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM)
Loading...
Date
2015
Authors
Muhamad Nor, Siti Noorul Arisah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Background:
Sex identification of the skeletal remains is one of the concerns in forensic
medicine, apart from age, stature and race. Since most bones that are
conventionally used for sex determination are often recovered either in a
fragmented or incomplete state, it is necessary to use denser bones that are often
recovered intact, for example maxillary sinus. Nowadays, the introduction of
Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) with thin axial sections, sagittal and
coronal reformatted images has allowed a more accurate assessment of this
structure.
Apart from the difficulty in obtaining a complete skeleton for sex identification, the
variable parameters measured are population specific. Thus, the aim of this study
is to evaluate the accuracy of maxillary sinus measurements by MDCT in
identification of sex among adult Malay population attending Hospital Universiti
Sains Malaysia (HUSM).
Objective:
To determine the sex by measurement of maxillary sinus dimensions using MDCT
in Malay adults.
Methodology:
This was a cross-sectional study done at the Department of Radiology, HUSM
from November 2011 until November 2014. MDCT scan study for head trauma of
140 adult Malay patients aged between 18 to 89 years were reviewed. Ten
maxillary sinus dimensions were measured and subjected for descriptive and
univariate/multivariate discriminant function analysis. Data entry and analysis were
performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22)
software programme.
Results:
Our results showed statistically significant difference of the mean value of maxillary
sinus dimensions in males and females. The mean values for males were
consistently higher as compared to females. Eight out of 10 measurement
parameters taken in this study were significant for sex identification except for total
distance across both sinuses and intermaxillary distance. The accuracy of sex
determination by maxillary sinus dimensions using univariate discriminant function
analysis is ranging from 61.5% to 67.9%. Our study also showed that combination
of two or more measurement parameters using multivariate discriminant function
analysis has increased the accuracy in sex identification by maxillary sinus
dimensions with the highest accuracy of 70.7% for the right maxillary sinus.
Conclusion:
Measurement of maxillary sinus dimensions by multidetector computed
tomography (MDCT) is useful for gender differentiation among Malay adults and
fairly accurate for sex identification in Forensic Medicine.
Description
Keywords
Maxillary sinus