Evaluation of Frontal Sinus Indexes by CT for Identification in Isfahanian Population Samples

Frontal sinuses are valuable for human identification especially when there are not other identification methods. The aim of the study is evaluation of frontal sinus indexes in Isfahanian population samples for identifying unknown persons. In this study paranasal sinus images of 103 cases in the age range of 12-81 were collected. Then presence or absence, symmetry or asymmetry, kind of septum and superior border outline form of frontal sinuses were evaluated and FSS classification system was used for classification of indexes. Furthermore, total width of two sinuses, the distance between the highest points of the two sinuses and the distance of each sinus to its maximum lateral limit, were measured; then, the data were analyzed. Bilateral and unilateral absences of frontal sinus were observed respectively 2.9% and 1.9%. Also, there were no relation between age and sex with frontal sinus presence. Most dimensions of men were larger than women. There was no relation between the age and the measurements. Probability of the frontal sinus uniqueness was 75% in our samples; though, it was increased 100% by adding measurements. The success rate of 75% implying the classification method could be useful for practical purposes of identification especially by adding measurements to it.