Differential diagnosis of an osseous cranial tumor from Hellenistic Muğla, Turkey

Objective

This project evaluates a cranial lesion from a Hellenistic-era individual excavated by the Muğla Archaeological Museum in Gülağzı, Turkey.

Materials

An osseous tumor measuring 3.02 × 3.54 × 2.98 cm originating from the occipital bone of a probable young adult male.

Methods

The tumor was examined using gross morphological inspection, plain radiography (x-ray), and computed tomography (CT) imaging to identify potential differential diagnoses for the osseous cranial tumor.

Results

The lesion in question displays features highly consistent with both osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma. The tumor had a non-sclerotic, sharply demarcated border, a radiolucent nidus measuring less than 2 centimeters in diameter, and homogeneous sclerotic bone surrounding the nidus.

Conclusions

Differential diagnosis determined the osseous tumor to be a benign neoplasm, and in this case the features of the tumor are highly consistent with a diagnosis of either osteoblastoma or osteoid osteoma.

Significance

The identification of novel neoplastic cases in paleopathology represents an important contribution to ongoing discussions regarding the temporality and regional variability of neoplastic conditions in the past. Additionally, a rigorous diagnostic study augmented by x-ray, CT scans, and 3D modeling provides data that can be utilized in future paleopathological studies.

Limitations

Diagnostic interpretation would be aided by histological examination of the tumor, which was impossible in this case. Histological examination would provide a definitive diagnosis.

Suggestions for further research

Given the high incidence of benign tumors in the clinical literature but a paucity of reports in the paleopathological record, further research is indicated to better understand the implications of benign neoplasms in antiquity.