“Calvarial Butterfly” new multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) virtual osteoscopic (VO) fingerprint for identification

PurposeThe battle between criminal associations and law enforcement still rages to this day, providing ever more elusive ways to mask away the characteristics which will lead criminals, eventually, to justice. So we tried to find an easy way using one of the MDCT applications namely “virtual osteoscopy” to create a new internal “fingerprint” that could not be manipulated by any means.Methods and materialVirtual osteoscopic evaluation (post-processing technique) of the calvarial bones of 1120 patients was carried out using the available software “Syngo” from Siemens Medical Technology – Erlangen – Germany; following routine MDCT evaluation of the brain due to different complaints. The generated images were reviewed, analyzed and the results were tabulated. Thorough evaluation of the axial cuts regarding any abnormalities including skull features, skull vault thickness, paranasal sinuses, brain lesions or normal variants which may be kept as a reference hand in hand with the virtual osteoscopic findings of the Calvarial Butterfly.ResultsThe generated data were tabulated regarding the patterns of the generated Butterfly-like structure representing the external features of the diploic space marrow cavity at the occipital protuberance level. From the examined patients it was shown that each individual had a unique Butterfly-like structure having distinct external features, patterns as well as calculated volumes.ConclusionThe 3D virtual endoscopic models with the generated Butterfly-like appearance (i.e. virtual osteoscopy) at the occipital region will play a major role in the cases of identification and anthropology in both in vivo and in vitro cases and will solve a lot of forensic medicine mysteries.