No abstract

The established importance of Forensic Dentistry for human identification, mainly when there is little remaining material to perform such identification (e.g., in fires, explosions, decomposing bodies or skeletonized bodies), has led dentists working with forensic investigation to become more familiar with the new molecular biology techniques. The currently available DNA tests have high reliability and are accepted as legal proofs in courts. This article presents a literature review referring to the main studies on Forensic Dentistry that involve the use of DNA for human identification, and makes an overview of the evolution of this technology in the last years, highlighting the importance of molecular biology in forensic sciences.

Cutaneous Larva migrans is a very common disease in tropical regions. In the oral mucosa, the infection occurs in the same way as in the skin, but it is rarer. This report describes two cases of Larva migrans in the oral mucosa. The first case was in a 27-year-old woman who presented an erythematous plaque located on the buccal mucosa, extending to a posterior direction, following a linear pattern, to other areas of the mouth. After incisional biopsy of the anterior-most portion of the lesion, morphological details obtained in multiple examined sections suggested Necator or Ancylostoma braziliense larvae as the cause of infection. The second case was in a 35-yearold male who presented a fusiform erythematous plaque in the palatal mucosa. This area was removed and submitted to microscopic examination under a presumptive diagnosis of "parasite migratory stomatitis". The histological characteristics were suggestive of a larva pathway. In both cases the lesion disappeared after biopsy and the patients were symptom-free.

Age and sex estimation is crucial in forensic investigations, whether in legal situations that involve living people or to identify mortal remains. The aim of this study was to establish reference values in a Brazilian population to estimate age and sex by measuring the length of the mandibular ramus on lateral cephalometric radiographs, and to determine the probability that an individual being is 18 years or older, based on the results that were obtained. Two hundred and eighteen scanned lateral cephalograms of individuals between 6 and 20 years of age (101 males and 117 females) were measured with reference to mandibular ramus length (the distance between Condylion superior (Cs) and Gonion (Go)) using ImageJ 1.41 software (NIH, Bethesda, MA, USA). The results showed that sexual dimorphism was not observed until 16 years and, based on the ramus length measurements in this sample, it is possible to predict sex with an accuracy of only 54 %. There was a positive correlation between age and ramus length (r = 0.90; p < 0.001). From the linear regression analysis, one formula was derived; therefore, it was possible to calculate the individual's age, given his or her ramus length. The results showed that if an individual's ramus length is 7.0 cm or more, then there is an 81.25 % chance that the individual is 18 years old or older. In conclusion, the mandibular ramus length was not effective in discriminating sex. Mandibular length is strongly related to chronological age and can be used to predict whether an individual is 18 years or older with high degree of expected accuracy.

Dedico este trabalho... A José Messias de Oliveira Filho, meu PAI, por todos esses anos que você sempre esteve ao meu lado, apoiando minhas decisões, incentivando meus sonhos e amparando-me quando precisei. Mas, principalmente, pelos seus exemplos de trabalho e honestidade, que foram fundamentais para minha formação pessoal e profissional. À Maria de Fátima T. T. Oliveira, minha MÃE, por todo o amor e carinho incondicionais que você sempre dedicou a mim. Seus exemplos de bondade e sinceridade foram para mim como guias, pois sem eles, não seria possível tomar as decisões mais importantes da minha vida. Graças ao seu empenho e sacrifício, foi possível chegar ao fim de mais esta etapa. A Deus, pelo privilégio de ter PAIS como estes. vi AGRADECIMENTOS ESPECIAIS À minha esposa, Beatriz, por seu apoio, compreensão e sacrifício. Sem você ao meu lado, me incentivando nas horas de maior desânimo, seria impossível superar mais este obstáculo. Aos meus filhos, Leonardo e Enrico, por terem trazido tanto amor e alegria para minha vida. O simples fato de vocês existirem, faz com que me empenhe, cada vez mais, em atingir meus objetivos. A todos meus familiares, pais, avós, tios, irmã, sobrinha, primo, cunhados, sogros. Seriam necessárias inúmeras páginas desse trabalho para expressar todo meu agradecimento a vocês. Certamente, cada um colaborou, de forma direta ou indireta, para realização deste projeto, mais que isso, vocês foram a retaguarda que eu precisava para vencer mais esta batalha. Ao meu orientador, Professor Arsenio Sales Peres, por acreditar em meu potencial, empenhando-se ao máximo para que fosse possível meu ingresso na Pós-Graduação da FOB. E, principalmente, por todos os ensinamentos a mim passados, possibilitando meu crescimento, não apenas profissional, como também pessoal.