Sexual dimorphism of maxillary sinus dimensions using the CBCT imaging among south Indian population

Background: Maxillary sinuses of various species are known to exhibit sexual dimorphism. The maxillary sinus in males is larger in volume than females in contemporary human populations. Hence, an attempt is being made to use the different dimensions of the maxillary sinus in the determination of sex using coronal, axial and sagittal sections of CBCT scan. Materials and Methods: A total of 175 CBCT scans of bilateral maxillary sinuses of 74 females and 101 males in the age group of 16 to 80 years, were retrospectively selected from the CBCT archives. The dimensions of right and left maxillary sinuses was measured using DICOM software and statistical analysis was done. Results: Maxillary sinus volume on both sides showed statistically significant results with a higher percentage of sexual dimorphism. Conclusion: Volume of maxillary sinus can be used as a precise diagnostic parameter for sex determination.