Accuracy and Reliability of Oral Exfoliative Cytology in Age Estimation: An Observational Study.

Aim And Objectives: Age and gender identification are critical in forensic investigations, especially for unidentified human bodies. This study explores differences in nuclear size, nuclear area, and nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio between healthy individuals and those with physiological or pathological conditions, aiming to understand how these variations may influence age estimation.

Materials And Methods: Following ethical clearance, the study was conducted on 80 participants aged 20-35 years, who were divided into four groups of 20 each, Group 1: Healthy individuals; Group 2: Individuals with physiological variations; Group 3: Individuals with pathological variations; and Group 4: Individuals with acquired conditions.