Identification score for robust and secure identification using ante- and post-mortem skull CT scans

Area of Science:

• Forensic Radiology
• Medical Imaging Analysis
• Human Identification

Background:

• Paranasal sinuses offer unique anatomical features for comparative identification between post-mortem CT (PMCT) and ante-mortem CT (AMCT).
• Data security concerns impede the transfer of raw AMCT images for identity verification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an identification score (IDScore) using CT slices for subject identification.
• To address ethical and regulatory challenges associated with accessing AMCT data.

Main Methods:

• Derivation of IDScore involved 98 patients with two AMCTs ≥1 year apart, with radiologists assessing slice similarity (ethmoid, frontal sinus, Left Semi-Circular Canal).
• Validation used 27 PMCTs with comparative AMCTs, involving 5 comparison procedures per PMCT (1 concordant, 4 discordant).
• Two radiologists scored ethmoid and frontal CT slice similarity (-2 to +2), with IDScore as the average sum.

Main Results:

• IDScore demonstrated perfect discrimination between identical subjects with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity.
• Predetermined thresholds for IDScore ( > +2 for positive, < -1 for negative identification) were effective.
• The study involved 135 comparison procedures in total.

Conclusions:

• IDScore enables remote subject identification without needing complete raw AMCT images.
• This method effectively bypasses ethical and regulatory hurdles in accessing AMCT data for identification.
• IDScore offers a secure and efficient solution for forensic identification using CT imaging.