A pathological lesion or a postmortem artefact? An interdisciplinary approach to deal with an interesting early medieval case

IF 1.3 3区 地球科学 Q3 PALEONTOLOGY International Journal of Paleopathology Pub Date : 2023-10-30 DOI:10.1016/j.ijpp.2023.10.003
Martina Fojtová , Jan Křístek , Lukáš Kučera
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Abstract

Objective

This study evaluates a case of pseudopathology and the effects that postmortem taphonomic changes and environmental influences can have on bone.

Material

A skeleton of a young male from the early medieval site Staré Město, dated to the 9th–10th century CE.

Methods

The skeletal remains were subjected to detailed macroscopic and X-ray examination, and then a CT scan and XRF analysis were performed.

Results

X-ray examination of the mandible revealed unusually dense structures, whose appearance was not consistent with any known pathology. Based on the results of CT scanning, it was hypothesized that these were cavities filled with alluvial sediment. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), focusing on the determination of the silica content, revealed a high intensity of silica in the samples of the affected area of the bone.

Conclusion

The hypothesis that the inclusions were composed of waterborne sediment was supported.

Significance

Although it is well known that soil can infiltrate bones buried in the ground, its appearance on plain radiographs is not that commonly known. The case illustrates the usefulness of differentiating true pathologies from postmortem alterations to avoid inappropriate interpretations.

Limitations

No similar cases have been described.

Suggestion for further research

In palaeopathological evaluation, the use of multiple imaging and evaluative techniques should be implemented to differentiate pathological lesions from pseudopathology.

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病理损伤还是死后的人工制品?处理中世纪早期一个有趣案例的跨学科方法。
目的:本研究评估了一例假病理病例,以及死后骨组织的变化和环境影响对骨骼的影响。材料:一具年轻男性的骨架,来自中世纪早期的StaréMŞsto遗址,年代为公元9-10世纪。方法:对骨骼遗骸进行详细的宏观和X光检查,然后进行CT扫描和XRF分析。结果:下颌骨的X光检查显示异常致密的结构,其外观与任何已知的病理学不一致。根据CT扫描结果,假设这些洞穴充满了冲积沉积物。X射线荧光光谱法(XRF)专注于二氧化硅含量的测定,揭示了骨骼患处样品中二氧化硅的高强度。结论:包裹体由水性沉积物组成的假说是成立的。意义:尽管众所周知,土壤可以渗透到埋在地下的骨头中,但它在普通射线照片上的表现并不常见。该案例说明了区分真实病理学和尸检改变以避免不当解释的有用性。局限性:没有描述类似的案例。进一步研究的建议:在古病理学评价中,应采用多种成像和评价技术来区分病理性病变和假病理性病变。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
2.90
自引率
25.00%
发文量
43
期刊介绍: Paleopathology is the study and application of methods and techniques for investigating diseases and related conditions from skeletal and soft tissue remains. The International Journal of Paleopathology (IJPP) will publish original and significant articles on human and animal (including hominids) disease, based upon the study of physical remains, including osseous, dental, and preserved soft tissues at a range of methodological levels, from direct observation to molecular, chemical, histological and radiographic analysis. Discussion of ways in which these methods can be applied to the reconstruction of health, disease and life histories in the past is central to the discipline, so the journal would also encourage papers covering interpretive and theoretical issues, and those that place the study of disease at the centre of a bioarchaeological or biocultural approach. Papers dealing with historical evidence relating to disease in the past (rather than history of medicine) will also be published. The journal will also accept significant studies that applied previously developed techniques to new materials, setting the research in the context of current debates on past human and animal health.
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