Age estimation by exfoliative cytology: New era of noninvasive forensic science

Background: Age determination in mass disaster is an important information that helps to identify the individual. Exfoliative cytology is one of the noninvasive techniques with minimal expenditure, which allows simple and pain-free collection of intact cells from different layers within the epithelium for examination. The present study uses exfoliative cytology smears from buccal mucosa, to estimate the age-related changes to guide the investigators for correct identification of unknown human bodies.Aim and Objective: The aim of the study is to estimate the age of an individual from buccal smears.Materials and Methods: Buccal smears were taken from 50 healthy individuals and analyzed for cellular and nuclear perimeter, using Dewinter's image analysis software (Version 4.3) using one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni method.Results: There was a statistically significant reduction in the size of the cell with the age of the individual (P = 0.000). Nuclear size reduces with increasing age but was not consistent. NP:CP ratio increased with advancing age.Conclusion: The cell size is a more reliable parameter to assess the age of the individual.