Sex Determination Using Cheiloscopy

Rapid Communication

Austin J Pathol Lab Med. 2017; 4(1): 1020.

Sex Determination Using Cheiloscopy

Tyagi A and Sinha S*

Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Daswani Dental College, India

*Corresponding author: Sachin Sinha, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Daswani Dental College, Kota, India

Received: November 30, 2016; Accepted: March 29, 2017; Published: April 11, 2017

Abstract

Human identification is a process based on scientific principles of the theory of uniqueness. Theory of uniqueness is a strong point used in the analysis of fingerprints to convince the court of law. Likewise even the lip print is unique to an individual and hence beholds the potential for identification purpose. The external surface of lips has many elevations and depressions forming a characteristic pattern called lip prints, examination of which is known as ‘Cheiloscopy’. The study group comprised of 15 male and 15 female subjects. The materials used were lipstick, lip-brush, cellophane tape, bond paper and a case Performa. This study showed that the lip prints are unique to an individual and can be reliably used for the recognition of the sex of an individual.

Keywords: Cheiloscopy; Sex determination; Lip print analysis

Introduction

Cheiloscopy is a forensic investigation technique that deals with identification of humans based on lips traces. Lip Print may be revealed as a stratified surface trace with visible elements of lines (furrows) [1,2].

Finger prints, post-mortem reports, DNA fingerprinting have been successful in personal identification in the field of forensic science. Just like these methods, lip prints can be instrumental in identifying a person positively and can be used to verify the presence or the absence of a person at the scene of crime [3].

The main objective of the present study was to assess the inter-observer variability in sex determination with the help of lip prints.

Lip prints are unique to each individual and can be used for personal identification. The lip prints show differences according to the race and the ethnic origins of a person [4].

Identification of an individual is a pre-requisite for certification of death and for personal, social and legal reasons. The study of lip-prints (cheiloscopy) was thought of as a method of identification of a person [5].

Materials and Methods

The study sample comprised of 30 subjects including 15 males and 15 females within the age range of 19-30 years, who attended the outpatient department of D J College of Dental Sciences & Research, Modinagar, for various dental complaints.

Care was taken to select individuals having no lesion, whether active or passive on the lips. Individuals with known hypersensitivity to lipsticks were not included in the study. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects included in the study (Figure 1).

A dark coloured lipstick applied with a single stroke, evenly on the vermillion border and then the subject was asked to roll both the lips to spread the applied lipstick (Figure 2). The lip impressions were taken on the glued portion of the cellophane tape, stuck on a white bond paper and analyzed with the help of magnifying lens (Figures 3 and 4) [6].