Metric Analysis of Sella Turcica for Sex Identification Using Multidetector Computed Tomography in a Sample of Adult Egyptians.

Abstract

Sex identification is a preliminary step for personal identification. The current retrospective study aimed at investigating twenty-two variables in Sella Turcica and its boundaries of clinoid bones for sex determination among 148 adult Egyptians (74 males and 74 females) by using three-dimension reconstruction technique of Multidetector Computed Tomography images. Sella width, depth, anteroposterior diameter, height anterior, height median, height posterior and area were statistically significant larger in females. Anterior clinoid distance, posterior clinoid distance, anterior clinoid process length and posterior clinoid process transverse thickness were statistically significant larger in males. Sella length, interclinoid distance, Sella diameter, anterior clinoid process basal width and posterior clinoid process length showed non-significant sex difference. Only interclinoid distance and anterior clinoid process basal width showed significant difference between right and left side in females. The Sella height median achieved the highest sex predicting accuracy (66.9%) in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis followed by area, depth and height posterior with accuracies up to (65.5 %, 64.2% and 63.5%) respectively. In simple univariate discriminant analysis after cross validation; Sella area had the best accuracies (68.9%), (44.6%) and (56.8 %) for males, females and total respectively. There was fall in sex prediction accuracy on applying multivariate discriminant analysis. Equations were derived from univariate and multivariate discriminant analysis to be applied for sex determination in adult Egyptians. To conclude; sexual dimorphism of Sella Turcica and clinoid bones is evident in adult Egyptians and can be used as adjuvant tool for sex determination in Egyptian population.