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PubMedDate not supplied

Paleopathological evidence of the cranial remains from the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). Description and preliminary inferences.

The large Sima de los Huesos sample provides for the first time the opportunity of performing a paleopathological study of a Middle Pleistocene population. A high frequency of bilateral temporomandibular arthropathy has been observed. We found an ear hyperostosis in Cranium 4, that probably caused deafness that we consider to be of infectious origin. Three osteomata were found in the cranial collection. One severe trauma was evident on the left supraorbital torus of an immature individual. Many cranial vault erosions, mostly restricted to the external table, are found in the sample. Cranium 5 displays thirteen of these. Cranium 5 also shows an extensive maxillary osteitis associated with a dental apical abscess, as well as another dental apical abscess in its mandible. Most of the adult frontal bones show a worm-like pattern of vascular channelling in the orbital roof, also found in modern populations.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Bone eburnation in rheumatic diseases: a guiding trace in today's radiological diagnosis and in paleopathology.

Bone eburnation is a common anatomical trace of chronic arthropathy. However, its topographical analysis in rheumatic diseases can contribute to knowledge about the latter, by explaining today's diagnosis through radiology as well as by giving an historical perspective through paleopathology. After recalling that eburnated areas can also originate in infectious arthritis, the present analysis consists in a comparison between macroscopic and radiological observations of both osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at an advanced stage. It focuses on the human femoral head because of its demonstrative interest. Two main observations emerge from our study. The eburnated surface is less extensive in OA (where it appears to be essentially linked to the original structure of the hip) and more extensive in RA at an advanced stage (where an additional systemic factor is predominant). The size of the associated osteophytes appears to be inversely proportional to the extent of the corresponding eburnated area. In connection with the OA-RA comparison above, the contribution of the original joint structure to bone eburnation was also illustrated by acromiohumeral eburnation in shoulder OA and by the comparison with dog hip OA. It must also be noted that a femoral head bone remodeling similar on the whole to that of OA can occur in ochronotic arthropathies whose causal chondropathy is due to a genetic defect. Originating in an identified chondropathy, eburnation in ochronotic arthropathy gives us the opportunity to study an OA-type bone remodeling per se as in an experiment supplied by nature and involving a human hip. However, since RA and ochronotic arthropathy are due to a diffuse chondropathy, both may create a similar macroscopic (and thus radiological) eburnation topography.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Paleopathology of the lumbar spine in the early medieval period].

AIM: The lumbar spine of people from ancient civilizations can provide a large amount of information about these individuals and their physical condition through paleopathological investigation. METHOD: This study was conducted on a sample of 185 lumbar spines from southwestern Germany dating back in the early medieval period. The skeletons came from the row graves from Nusplingen, Schretzheim, Neresheim, and Pleidelsheim. RESULTS: Examples of congenital malformations, degenerative processes, infections and traumatic diseases were discovered. The most common pathological findings were degenerative changes of the lumbar spine in 24 %. Congenital anomalies and spondylolysis were relatively common in this population. Examples of traumatic injuries and infections of the spine were rare. Metastatic lesions on the vertebral bodies were identified in no case. CONCLUSION: Most diseases of the lumbar column in the ancient inhabitants of southwestern Germany were similar to those that affect the present-day population of that area.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Computerized tomography in paleopathology].

Paleopathology is the study of human ailments in bygone times of which written records are non-existent or inadequate. Essentially, it is based on osteological findings. Radiologic examination, which reveals the inner structure of the bones, plays an important role. Additional information can be obtained with CT, primarily because there is no superimposition of the bones. The very detailed radiologic demonstration of a periosteal reaction on a tibia in a case of acquired syphilis is illustrated.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1994

Paleopathology of the Copper Age mummy from the Val senales glacier.

The unique conditions of preservation of the Copper age mummy found in the Val Senales glacier permit to analyze the general state of health of a man of the late European prehistory. Investigations conducted within the organizational framework of an International Research Project revealed the presence of a series of alterations, that, in a broad sense, can be considered of paleopathological interest. These can be classified as: 1) post mortem lesions, including scalp erosion, alopecia, soft tissue loss in the right gluteal region, right coxo-femoral disarticulation, right sacro-iliac dislocation; 2) lesions that occurred intra vitam, including tattooings, dental wear, trichorrexis nodosa, nail hypoplasia, moderate osteoarthrosis of the lumbar vertebral column and of the coxo-femoral joints, tibio-tarsal osteosclerosis. The palaeopathological analysis of this unique mummy shed vivid light on the mutual interactions between disease, environment, and culture, that shaped human life in a distant past.

Austria↗
PubMed2001

Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516): paleopathology of the medieval disabled and its relation to the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010.

BACKGROUND: At the start of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010, a paleopathologic study of the physically disabled may yield information and insight on the prevalence of crippling disorders and attitudes towards the afflicted in the past compared to today. OBJECTIVE: To analyze "The procession of the Cripples," a representative drawing of 31 disabled individuals by Hieronymus Bosch in 1500. METHODS: Three specialists--a rheumatologist, an orthopedic surgeon and a neurologist--analyzed each case by problem-solving means and clinical reasoning in order to formulate a consensus on the most likely diagnosis. RESULTS: This iconographic study of cripples in the sixteenth century reveals that the most common crippling disorder was not a neural form of leprosy, but rather that other disorders were also prevalent, such as congenital malformation, dry gangrene due to ergotism, post-traumatic amputations, infectious diseases (Pott's, syphilis), and even simulators. The drawings show characteristic coping patterns and different kinds of crutches and aids. CONCLUSION: A correct clinical diagnosis can be reached through the collaboration of a rheumatologist, an orthopedist and a neurologist. The Bone and Joint Decade Project, calling for attention and education with respect to musculoskeletal disorders, should reduce the impact and burden of crippling diseases worldwide through early clinical diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Bone Diseases↗
PubMed2003

[The paleopathologic work of György Huszár and Dénes Schranz].

Dr. György Huszár and Dr. Dénes Schranz, passed away last year. Both of them also worked also in a less known branch of dentistry: in dental paleopathology (paleostomatology). Their investigations in the field, the common results, and bibliography connected to this topic are introduced in the article.

Dental Caries↗
PubMed2002

[Ancient DNA studies: from paleopathology to population genetics].

We discuss the relevance of ancient DNA studies for novel approaches to a variety of fields of scientific inquiry, including population and evolutionary genetics, prehistoric archaeology, paleopathology and history of human diseases. To exemplify the potential of ancient DNA research, we provide accounts of studies currently conducted at our laboratories in four different areas: 1) origins of the dog and phylogeny of prehistoric Italian canids; 2) paleogenetics of ancient Roma; 3) antiquity for variant alleles implicated in disease predisposition; 4) molecular investigation of pathologic lesions in Italian mummies of Renaissance age. The implications of the results obtained are briefly outlined.

DNA↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Neurological paleopathology in the pre-Columbian cultures of the coast and the Andean plateau (I). Artificial cranial deformation].

AIMS: The aim of this work was to study the cranial trepanations and deformations carried out by the ancient Paraca, Huari, Tiahuanaco and Inca cultures. To do so, we conducted a field study involving visits to archaeological remains and anthropological museums on the Andean plateau and the Peruvian coast. DEVELOPMENT: Cranial deformation was more common in the Andean regions and was performed by putting little pieces of wood or compressive bandages on newborn infants' heads in order to modify the growth axis of the cranial cavity. Cranial deformations were performed for aesthetic and magic religious reasons, but were also used as a means of ethnic or social identification, as a symbol of nobility or to distinguish the ruling classes. The immediate consequence of such deformation was the modification of the normal process by which the cranial sutures close. There is a significant correlation between the presence of posterior and lateral wormian bones, according to the degree of artificial deformation. The persistence of metopic suture and exostosis of the outer ear canal have been found in 5% of the skulls belonging to pre Columbine mummies. Other paleopathological findings include cranial fractures (7%), porotic hyperostosis (25% of children's skulls), spina bifida occulta, signs of spinal disk arthrosis and Pott's disease. CONCLUSIONS: Artificial cranial deformation was a very widespread practice in the Andean regions in pre Columbine times.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Mysteries of the Bourges mummy, an paleopathologic survey].

Discovered in 1908 in a lead coffin conserved in a stone sarcophagus, the mummy of the "fin Renard" (Bourges, France), was immediately identified as that of a gallo-roman child. The circumstances of his death as the extraordinary conservation of this body were the object of many conclusions related to contemporeanous medico-historical knowledge and limited by partial investigation potentiality. The application of the most actual paleopathological methods and techniques permitted a more precise observation of this unique but surprising French specimen. However, after many radiographic, scannographic, fibroscopic and microscopic studies, the little mummy conserves many of its mysteries...

France↗
PubMed2005

[Molecular paleopathology: a novel perspective for biomedical history].

Molecular paleopathology is an emerging field that is devoted to the detection, indentification and characterization of the molecular signatures in past diseases. When studied with modern molecular techniques, ancient human remains may yield direct informations on the diseases of ancient populations as well as the history of human diseases. Data concerning specific diseases of infectious, neoplastic and genetic origin can be obtained by molecular investigations of skeletal and mummified human remains. In particular, ancient DNA extracted from bone tissue, teeth and mummified soft tissue can be deeply analyzed by using PCR-based molecular techniques. Additionally, DNA of ancient pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and parasites, can be isolated from human remains and molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases can be made. Thus, molecular data, complemented by morphological and biochemical analyses, could help to reconstruct the epidemiology of past diseases and epidemics.

Communicable Diseases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The paleopathology of the liver.

Paleopathology, the study of disease in ancient remains, adds the dimension of time to our study of health and disease. The oldest finding relating the liver to disease is indirect skeletal evidence of hypervitaminosis A in an early human fossil owing to the ingestion of excessive amounts of animal liver. The earliest evidence of pathologic change in the liver is an example of schistosomal cirrhosis in a 3200 year old Egyptian mummy. Lipofuscin pigment has been identified in the liver of a 1600 year old Eskimo mummy. An experimental study suggests that the potential exists for identifying a wide range of hepatic pathology in mummified remains.

History, Ancient↗
PubMed2004

Paleopathological find of a sacral neurilemmoma from ancient Egypt.

A large, smooth-walled cavity molded from the pressure of a relatively hard, globular, and lobulated tissue mass was found inside the sacrum of the mature female, Imakhetkherresnet. She was the sister of the lector-priest Iufaa, whose unmolested tomb dates to the late 26th Dynasty (prior to 625 BC). The origin of the lesion could be determined unambiguously by macroscopic, radiographic, and histological analysis. It was caused by a neurilemmoma (schwannoma, neurinoma), a benign tumor originating in a nerve sheath. This is the first description in the paleopathological literature of this kind of tumor occurring in the sacrum.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Epidemiological approach to the paleopathological diagnosis of leprosy.

In paleopathology it is usually assumed that modern diagnostic criteria can be applied to infectious diseases in the past. However, as both the human species and populations of pathogenic microorganisms undergo evolutionary changes, this assumption is not always well-founded. To get valid estimates of the frequency (the point prevalence at death) of leprosy in skeletal samples, sensitivity, specificity, and sample frequency must be estimated simultaneously. It is shown that more than three symptoms must be evaluated in at least three samples in order to reach estimates with well-described properties. The method is applied to three skeletal samples from Medieval Denmark; the samples were scored for the presence of seven osteological conditions indicating leprosy. For the osteological conditions, sensitivity varied from 0.36-0.80, and specificity from 0.58-0.98. The frequency of leprosy in the three samples was: Odense (a lepers' institution), 0.98, 95% CI 0.64-1.00; Malmö (urban cemetery), 0.02, 95% CI 0.00-0.07; and Tirup (rural cemetery), 0.36, 95% CI 0.23-0.46. It is concluded that it is indeed possible to estimate disease frequencies without reference to modern standards, and that leprosy occurred with widely differing frequencies in different segments of the Medieval population in southern Scandinavia.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Plantar calcaneal enthesophytes: new observations regarding sites of origin based on radiographic, MR imaging, anatomic, and paleopathologic analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between sites of calcaneal plantar enthesophytes and surrounding fascial and soft tissue structures using routine radiography, MR imaging, and data derived from cadaveric and paleopathologic specimens. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Two observers analyzed the MR imaging studies of 40 ankles in 38 patients (35 males, 3 females; mean age 48.3 years) with plantar calcaneal enthesophytes that were selected from all the ankle MR examinations performed during the past year. Data derived from these MR examinations were the following: the size of the enthesophyte; its location in relation to the plantar fascia (PF) and flexor muscles; and the thickness and signal of the PF. The corresponding radiographs of the ankles were evaluated at a different time by the same observers for the presence or absence of plantar enthesophytes and, when present, their measurements. A third observer reviewed all the discordant observations of MR imaging and radiographic examinations. Two observers analyzed 22 calcaneal specimens with plantar enthesophytes at an anthropology museum to determine the orientation of each plantar enthesophyte. MR imaging of a cadaveric foot with a plantar enthesophyte with subsequent sagittal sectioning was performed to provide further anatomic understanding. RESULTS: With regard to MR imaging, the mean size of the plantar enthesophytes was 4.41 mm (SD 2.4). Twenty (50%) enthesophytes were located above the PF, 16 (40%) between the fascia and abductor digiti minimi, flexor digitorum brevis and abductor hallucis muscles, and only one (3%) was located within the PF. In three (8%) cases the location was not determined. The size of enthesophytes seen with MR imaging and radiographs was highly correlated (P<0.01). The interobserver agreement for all measurements was good (Pearson >0.8, kappa >0.9). Eleven of the 22 bone specimens had plantar enthesophytes oriented in the direction of the abductor digiti minimi and 11 oriented in the direction of the flexor digitorum brevis and PF. The cadaveric sections revealed different types of enthesophytes. CONCLUSIONS: Plantar calcaneal enthesophytes arise in five different locations: at the insertion sites of abductor digiti minimi and flexor digitorum brevis muscles; between the PF and these muscles; and, less frequently, within the PF and at the insertion site of the short plantar ligament.

Cadaver↗
PubMed2004

[Paleopathological skeleton findings. Macroscopical and radiographical studies of 364 individuals from a medieval graveyard].

Paleopathological examinations can give an idea of diseases and living conditions in ancient populations. An archaeological collection of 364 late medieval/early modern skeletons from the thirteenth to eighteenth centuries, excavated from a church cemetery in the Rostock town center, was examined palaeopathologically. The type and frequency of certain diseases within this north German urban population are described. The majority of the skeletons were from adults with a remarkably low percentage of children. Skeletal malformations (e.g. gap formations of the spinal column) were not abnormally represented. With the exception of single individuals, metabolic disorders or unusual infectious diseases could not be diagnosed. Degenerative diseases often found at the joints and the spinal column showed substantially lower prevalences in comparison with reference rural populations. Individual cases of benign and rare malignant neoplasms could be documented. Traumatic injuries as well as dental pathological changes were rare. In summary it can be concluded that the individuals buried here belonged to a better social class within the medieval population of Rostock.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed2005

The embalming, the scientific method and the paleopathology: the case of Gaetano Arrighi (1836).

Since the most ancient times the problem of the artificial preservation of dead bodies has been an important object of study. In ancient and classic times the reasons leading to this practice were essentially of a religious and esoteric type, but in the modern age, following the development of medical and biological studies, embalming has assumed a more practical trend which is both medicine and scientific. The discovery of blood circulation has marked the scientific method which, in its various forms, has circulated all over Europe bringing fame to eminent anatomists such as Federico Ruysch (1638-1731), William (1718-1783) and John Hunter (1728-1793), Jean Nicolas Gannal (1791-1852), Giuseppe Tranchina, Laskowky and Brosch, who affirmed the embalming by endoarterial injection of conservation fluids making evisceration useless and obsolete. The advent of formalin and the introduction of new surgical and autoptic methods have made this practice gradually fall into disuse. For this reason, the mummy found in Leghorn (Tuscany, Central Italy) is of particular importance since was obtained applying the intravascular injection following the method, described by the Italian medical Giuseppe Tranchina in 1835. The mummified body belongs to Gaetano Arrighi, a prisoner in the Leghorn fortress. He was born in Arezzo in 1789 and died on March 1836 at the age of 47 in the Civil Hospital of Leghorn following pleurisy, as results in an annexed document. The day after his death Dr. Raimondo Barsanti from Pisa and Superintendent at the Leghorn hospital made up the Tranchina's method, which consisted in the injection of an arsencial -mercury solution inside of the blood vessels, giving rigidity and dark red color to the dead body. The excellent outcome of the intervention has made it possible, more than 160 years later, to study not only the method by which Arrighi's body was embalmed but also to perform a careful paleopathological imaging study by traditional X-rays and by Computer Axial Tomography (CAT). The high percentage of mercury present in the conservation fluid conferred radiopacity, making it possible to evidence the diffusion of the liquid into the entire artery tree and in particular into the aorta as well as in all the right and left artery systems. The radiopacity showed an unusual thoracic picture suggesting a pathological situation. The CAT study enriched and ameliorated the results obtained by X-rays making it possible to reconstruct the embalming procedure and to confirm the diagnosis of wet pleurisy probably cause by a tubercular infection.

Embalming↗