The forensic importance of frontal sinus radiographs

da Silva, Rhonan Ferreira; Prado, Felippe Bevilacqua; Caputo, Isamara Geandra Cavalcanti; Devito, Karina Lopes; Botelho, Tessa de Luscena; Júnior, Eduardo Daruge

doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2008.05.016

« Previous Next »Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Volume 16, Issue 1 , Pages 18-23, January 2009

The forensic importance of frontal sinus radiographs

Rhonan Ferreira da Silva, DDS, MSc (Forensic Expert)
- Department of Morphology, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Forensic Dentistry, Paulista University, Flamboyant Campus, Goias, Brazil
- Corresponding author. Present address: Institute of Forensic Medicine, State of Goias, Department of Anthropology and Forensic Dentistry, Avenue Atilio C. Lima, n. 1223, Cidade Jardim, CEP 74425-030, Goiania, Goias, Brazil. Tel.: +55 062 32011281; fax: +55 062 32011276.
Felippe Bevilacqua Prado, DDS (Postgraduate Student)
- Department of Morphology, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
Isamara Geandra Cavalcanti Caputo, DDS (Postgraduate Student)
- Department of Forensic Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
Karina Lopes Devito, DDS, PhD (Professor)
- Department of Radiology, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
Tessa de Luscena Botelho, DDS, MSc (Professor)
- Department of Radiology, Paulista University, Flamboyant Campus, Goias, Brazil
Eduardo Daruge Júnior, DDS, PhD (Professor)
- Department of Forensic Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

Received 20 August 2007; received in revised form 3 April 2008; accepted 18 May 2008.

Abstract

The identification of unidentified human remains through the comparison of antemortem and postmortem radiographs has found wide acceptance in recent years. Reported here is the forensic case of an unidentified adult male who had died as the result of a traffic accident, after which the body was identified by matching images of ante- and postmortem radiographs of the frontal sinus. A general discussion on identification using frontal sinus radiographs is presented, highlighting the reliability of this method, in reference to the uniqueness of the frontal sinus in humans. However, it also notes a few difficulties, especially in reference to the X-ray technique in cases where antemortem radiographs are available and a potentially larger number of anatomical, pathological or traumatic features are present. The comparison of frontal sinus outlines is recommended when it may become necessary to provide quantitative substantiation for forensic identification based on these structures.

Keywords: Frontal sinus, Radiography, Forensic anthropology, Victim identification