Three‐dimensional reconstruction of King Henri IV 's paranasal sinuses and mastoid cells

• Published in: Clinical anatomy (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 2 - 9
• Main Authors: Baudouin, Robin, Amelot, Angélique, Huynh‐Charlier, Isabelle, Lisan, Quentin, Hans, Stéphane, Charlier, Philippe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 01.01.2025
• Subjects: Life Sciences; forensic medicine; mummified body; voice rehabilitation; voice resonant cavities; paleopathology; anatomy; medical anthropology; human sinus; three-dimensional reconstruction
• ISSN: 0897-3806; 1098-2353
• DOI: 10.1002/ca.24172

Purpose: The preserved head of King Henri IV of France (life 1553-1610, reign 1589-1610) has survived to the present day thanks to high-quality embalming and favorable conservation conditions. The aim of this study was to examine Henry IV s upper resonant cavities and mastoids using an original and innovative forensic three-dimensional segmentation method. Methods: The paranasal sinuses and mastoid cells of King Henri IV of France were studied by cross-referencing available biographical information with clinical and flexible endoscopic examination and computed tomography (CT-scan) imaging. The paranasal sinuses and mastoid cells were delineated and their volumes were assessed using ITK-SNAP 4.0 software (open-source). Graphical representations were created using Fusion 360® (Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA) and MeshMixer® (Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA). Results: Paranasal sinus tomodensitometry revealed abnormalities in shape and number. Henri IV of France suffered from sinus aplasia. Neither the left sphenoid nor left frontal sinus contrasted sharply, and a remarkable pneumatization of the right clinoid processes extended throughout the height of the right pterygoid process. The total volumes of Henri IV s mastoid air-cells were estimated at 27 and 26 mL, respectively, for the right and left sides, exceeding the normal mean and the maximum of modern subjects by a wide margin. No sign of chronic ear or sinus condition was found. Conclusions: An innovative method has been developed in forensic medicine to establish hypotheses about the growth and respiratory conditions of the face.