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PubMed1981

Computed tomography in paleopathology: technique and case study.

With the development of computed tomography, soft tissues and foreign body collections are distinguished with remarkable resolution. This distinction is particularly useful when examining desiccated human remains, both in construction of research strategies and when invasive procedure (i.e., traditional autopsies, needle biopsies, etc.) are not possible. Though the organs differ markedly from living tissue, it is possible to distinguish major organs with some certainty. One case study exhibited three separate pathological conditions which were not demonstrated with traditional radiological procedures.

Female↗
PubMed1984

Paleopathology in an Iroquoian ossuary, with special reference to tuberculosis.

Pathological skeletal remains from the Uxbridge Ossuary (1490 +/- 80 A.D., N = 457) are classified into four broad categories: trauma, congenital disability, tumor, and infection. Traumatic injuries are relatively common (fractures in 5-9.4% of total), considering the date and subsistence pattern of the population. Congenital disabilities and tumors are rare, affecting approximately 2% of the population. Nonspecific periosteitis and osteitis affect 5% of the sample. By far the most common pathological skeletal changes are lytic lesions leading to cavitation of cancellous bone, especially in the lower vertebral and sacro-iliac regions. It is argued that the changes seen and their distribution are most consistent with a diagnosis of tuberculosis. Applying clinical observations regarding bone involvement, it is estimated that a minimum of 26 skeletons were affected. This in turn indicates a very high population tuberculosis incidence. The Uxbridge sample is neither the only nor the earliest Iroquoian ossuary to display apparent tuberculosis (Hartney 1981). The common presence of this disease in some communities and its low incidence in others are discussed in the context of the epidemic wave phenomenon. There is strong evidence for warfare at Uxbridge, and this warfare may have produced crowding, poor hygiene and diet, such that the disease could flourish.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Paleopathological study on a case of osteosarcoma.

This report concerns a probable case of osteosarcoma found in a precontact Hawaiian skeleton from the east coast of Oahu Island, Hawaii. A young adult female showed a tumorous bone proliferation with a coarse, corallike appearance at the distal metaphyseal area of the left femur. In gross observation, a profusion of coalescing bone was extended to the surrounding space and also invaded the marrow space. X-ray films revealed spotted and ringed shadows in the shaft and a "sunburst appearance" in the lesion. Histological examination of the tumor bone fragment showed a great deal of primitive bone tissue formation without any systemic Haversian structure. The diagnosis of osteogenic osteosarcoma is much more compatible than other primary malignant bone tumors such as Ewing's sarcoma, fibrosarcoma, and chondrosarcoma or osteoplastic metastatic carcinoma of the bone when the location and morphology of the tumor are considered along with the age of the decedent.

Female↗
PubMed1987

Endemic disease patterns in paleopathology: porotic hyperostosis.

Recent research has shown that constitutional factors can elicit a porotic skeletal lesion pattern related to iron-deficiency anemia, even when adequate dietary iron is available. This study considers the pattern of skeletal involvement under conditions of chronic or endemic dietary stress. Analysis focused on 54 subadults aged 0-10 years at death from the Arroyo Hondo site. Early age of onset is documented in the pattern of coincident active periosteal reactions and porotic lesions under 6 months. Endemically inadequate diets affecting pregnant females and their fetuses, acting synergistically with immediately acquired infections, not weaning diets, are the probable major underlying causes for the early onset of iron-deficiency anemia at Arroyo Hondo.

Anemia, Hypochromic↗
PubMed1988

Paleopathology in Australopithecus africanus: a suggested case of a 3-million-year-old prepubertal periodontitis.

The fossil remains of a juvenile Australopithecus africanus specimen from Sterkfontein Member 4 temporally confined on faunal grounds to 2.5-3.0 million years before the present (Myr B.P.) show pathological alterations of the periodontal alveolar process consistent with a case of prepubertal periodontitis. This diagnosis is based on macroscopic features of alveolar bone loss distribution, pattern of periodontal bone destruction, migration of the affected deciduous molars, and on stereomicroscopic and scanning electron microscopic evidence of alveolar bone destruction. Differential diagnoses and pathological exclusions are discussed in terms of localized patterns of periodontal bone destruction and presumptive survival rate. The reported case appears to be the first detailed description of a recognized disease in early hominid evolution.

Africa↗
PubMed2006

Pattern of osteophytes and enthesophytes in the proximal ulna: an anatomic, paleopathologic, and radiologic study.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a schematic segmentation of the proximal ulna in order to detect, assess the frequency, and characterize the bony outgrowths arising from the trochlea and from the radial notch of the ulna, to enable differentiation of osteophytes from enthesophytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty well-preserved ulna specimens from the collection of the San Diego Museum of Man were analyzed by two musculoskeletal radiologists. The trochlea and the radial notch of the ulna simulate the shape of a clock quadrant. The proximal ulna was divided into 24 anatomic areas. The relationships of the joint capsule and insertions of tendons and ligaments onto these area were assessed by the two readers, and the resulting appearances of bony outgrowths were compared at visual inspection and on Radiographs. RESULTS: The interobserver visual comparison was good in 17 areas out of 24, but poor correlation was found in 7 areas. In one case, difficulties in differentiating osteophytes originating from the brachialis muscle/ tendon (area 9) from an enthesophyte originating from the capsule insertion on the coronoid process (areas 2 or 3) occurredand between two different enthesophytes in a further case. Five cases had difficulties in defining differences in the grading system of the outgrowths. The percentage of outgrowths observed in each of the areas was globally high, especially in areas 9 and 10. On radiographs it was possible to observe irregularities in ten areas; in eight at a threshold of height of 2 mm (areas 1-4, 9, 10, 11, 14) and in two at a threshold of height of 3 mm (areas 5, 6). The two readers had the same difficulties in differentiating enthesophytes from osteophytes at radiographic and visual examination. CONCLUSION: Our segmentation scheme is reproducible and objective, and permitted the differentiation of the bony outgrowths arising from the proximal ulna into osteophytes and enthesophytes, which may be particularly useful for the in vivo assessment of abnormalities seen in elbow overuse syndromes.

Humans↗
PubMed2002

[Paleopathology of ancient Egyptian mummies and skeletons. Investigations on the occurrence and frequency of specific diseases during various time periods in the necropolis of Thebes-West].

The scientific investigation of mummies and skeletons provides considerable data for the reconstruction of the living conditions and diseases of past populations. We describe the data on four completely analyzed tomb complexes from the huge necropolis of Thebes-West in Upper Egypt dating to different time periods. A total of 211 individuals from the so-called "Middle Kingdom" (MK, c. 2050-1750 BC) were compared to 273 individuals from the "New Kingdom" (NK) to "Late Period" (LP, in total 1550-500 BC). The age at death and the sex ratio were comparable between both groups. There was a high rate of early death with a maximum between the 2nd and 3rd decade of life but infant/adolescent burials were comparably rare. This early death is assumed to be due to an elevated prevalence of various infectious diseases. Likewise, a high rate of tuberculosis infections was seen in those individuals regardless of which time period they came from. Metabolic disorders with osseous manifestations, such as scurvy, osteomalacia and chronic anemia (cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis) were found with a high frequency in the MK populations but significantly less in the NK-LP populations. On the other hand signs of trauma were comparably high, and lesions due to degenerative joint and vertebral diseases were significantly higher in LP than in MK or NK individuals suggesting a higher mechanical load in the later populations. Cases of malignant (secondary) bone tumors and various soft tissue/organ diseases indicate that "civilization" disorders were present when the living conditions assured survival into advanced age. In summary, we provide circumstantial evidence that the systematic and concise analysis of mummy and skeletal remains can allow a reconstruction of major aspects of life and disease in historic populations, although a complete reconstruction is not possible.

Bone Diseases↗
PubMed2004

Is the incidence of elbow osteoarthritis underestimated? Insights from paleopathology.

OBJECTIVES: Osteoarthritis is uncommon at the elbow in contemporary populations. We sought to determine whether this was also the case in medieval and premodern times. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Standard criteria for osteoarthritis were applied to 496 complete elbows from a necropolis in Provence, France. RESULTS: Osteoarthritis was found in 27% of elbows. Significant differences were noted across periods and age groups but not between the right and left sides. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the symptoms of elbow osteoarthritis may be far milder than expected from the underlying pathological lesions. The incidence of elbow osteoarthritis in contemporary populations is probably underestimated. The high prevalence of elbow osteoarthritis in archeological populations cannot be taken as a marker for activities placing stress on the upper limbs.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Degenerative changes of the cervical facet joints in the medial and lateral atlantoaxial joint - a paleopathological study].

AIM: This article describes the prevalence of degenerative changes of the upper cervical spine (C1-C2) and cervical facet joints found during investigations of spinal column remains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted on a sample of 196 cervical spines from southwestern Germany which derive from the 6th to 8th centuries AD. The degenerative lesions were classified into grades 1 (marginal osteophytes), 2 (uneven joint surfaces), or 3 (osseous ankylosis). RESULTS: Of the skeletons examined, 19.4 % (n = 38) showed degenerative changes of the cervical facet joints and/or upper cervical spine (mean age at death was 44 years). The medial (6.1 %) and lateral (0.6 %) atlanto-axial joints were rarely involved in degenerative changes. The facet joints from C3-C4 to C6-C7 showed degenerative changes in 8.0-11.7 % of cases (usually grade 1 and 2). The C2-C3 facet joints were significantly involved in degenerative changes in 19.7 % of cases, one fourth of which were osseous ankylosis (grade 3). CONCLUSION: The C2-C3 facet joints showed a high rate of degenerative changes.

Adult↗