International Journal of Paleopathology最新文献

{"title":"Precursors to the 1918 pandemic: Finding Rickettsia felis and Mucor co-infection associated with a death in 1912","authors":"Yongli Xiao,&nbsp;Zong-Mei Sheng,&nbsp;Jeffery K. Taubenberger","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate potential molecular evidence of the presence of infuenza A in a patient who died in 1912.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>Two to three paraffin curls from a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) lung sample from an autopsy case of a one-and-a-half-year-old girl who reportedly died of acute pneumonia at the Royal London Hospital on February 1, 1912.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>RNA was extracted from the sample. Real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was performed to screen for influenza A virus, followed by total RNA library preparation and high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina NextSeq platform. Bioinformatic analysis was conducted on the obtained reads, which included metagenomic classification and sequence alignment to reference genomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Real-time RT-PCR and next-generation sequencing both revealed no evidence of influenza A virus infection. However, metagenomic analysis identified a significant number of reads matching <em>Rickettsia felis</em>, with 233 unique reads specifically aligning to its <em>OmpB</em> gene, and over 4 million fungal reads classified within the <em>Mucor</em> genus, although the exact species could not be determined. These findings provide suggestive molecular evidence of co-infection with <em>R. felis</em> and a <em>Mucor</em> species.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study demonstrates the utility of modern molecular techniques in evaluating early diagnoses. Despite records attributing the cause of death to acute pneumonia, no influenza A virus RNA was detected. The identification of <em>R. felis</em> and <em>Mucor</em> sequences suggests that this rare co-infection may have contributed to the infant’s death.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Retrospective diagnosis is enhanced by the use of modern molecular and bioinformatic techniques. This case study provides important paleopathological insight into the etiology of recorded “acute pneumonia”, indicating the presence of pathogens other than influenza A leading up to the 1918 pandemic.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Contamination during autopsy, tissue processing, or storage cannot be ruled out. Due to the lack of remaining material, histopathological confirmation of <em>Mucor</em> or <em>Rickettsia</em> infection was not possible.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>Molecular and bioinformatic research into other cases of suspected influenza A.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 69-75"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Periodontitis in human skeletal remains: The relationship between CEJ-AC distance and alveolar bone defects in a modern forensic collection of low socioeconomic status individuals from Yucatan, Mexico","authors":"S. Thamara Noriega Muro ,&nbsp;Sudip Datta Banik ,&nbsp;Andrea Cucina","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.11.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.11.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study evaluates the interrelationship between the cementoenamel distance to the alveolar crest (CEJ-AC), alveolar bone defects, and risk factors for periodontitis among adults.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>The skeletal remains of 77 individuals (58 males and 19 females), aged 28–92 years, were analyzed from a low socioeconomic status, 20th-century forensic collection in Merida, Mexico.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>An analysis integrating qualitative and quantitative criteria was conducted. The CEJ-AC distance was measured using a dental probe, and bone defects were categorized as suprabony, infrabony and furcation.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The mean CEJ-AC distance was 4.4 mm, with individual bone defect prevalence of 94.8 % (no sex differences). A positive correlation exists between CEJ-AC and bone defect severity (p &lt; 0.001), though greater CEJ-AC distances were not consistently associated with more severe defects. Furcation involvement was observed in 33.7 % of individuals, with no significant sex differences, and defect severity showed no association with age at death.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study demonstrates that alveolar bone defects represent the primary criterion for periodontitis in skeletal remains; CEJ-AC distance complements it. Integrating both parameters enhances the accuracy of osteological diagnosis.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This study contributes to refining paleopathological diagnosis of periodontal disease, thereby enhancing its applicability in archaeological contexts. The high prevalence observed underscores the impact of low socioeconomic status on oral health in marginalized populations.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Limitations include the sample’s low socioeconomic strata and underrepresentation of females.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions and Further Research</h3><div>Adapting clinical classifications to postmortem changes, compensatory eruption, and interindividual variation offers a promising framework.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145555268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Frequency of tuberculosis: Associated genomic variants in ancient Native Americans","authors":"Ana Cristina L.P. Cardouzo ,&nbsp;Henry Socrates Lavalle Sullasi ,&nbsp;André Luiz Campelo dos Santos","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study investigates the role of the immunological landscape of the ancient Americas in relation to tuberculosis infection. Specifically, we aim to determine the relative frequency of genetic polymorphisms associated with susceptibility and resistance to tuberculosis in ancient individuals.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a bibliographic review of tuberculosis and curated single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with the disease in present-day human populations. Using BCFtools, we analyzed ancient DNA data from 223 Native American individuals to identify curated genomic variants.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Our findings show a predominance of single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with tuberculosis susceptibility in ancient Native American populations.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The results indicate that genomic variants associated with susceptibility and resistance to tuberculosis were already present in ancient Native American populations, suggesting that genetic factors influenced mortality following the introduction of more virulent strains during European colonization.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This study provides insights into the prevalence of tuberculosis-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms among ancient American individuals before European colonization.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>The variants considered are associated with contemporary TB, and it is uncertain whether they were associated with TB in the past.</div><div><em>Suggestions for further research:</em> Our findings underscore the need for future studies on the origins and spread of tuberculosis and the selective pressures the disease may have exerted on human populations in the Americas before and after European contact.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 128-134"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Iron Age horse exploitation in Thrace (Bulgaria) inferred from dental attrition and vertebral pathology","authors":"Nadezhda Karastoyanova ,&nbsp;Petar Stamberov ,&nbsp;Stella Nikolova ,&nbsp;Petar Leshtakov","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To assess pathological lesions observed in an Early Iron Age (8th-century BCE) horse to gain insight into equine use and management in the past.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>The study is based on a nearly complete adult horse skeleton recovered from a pit at an archaeological site near Chirpan, Thracian Valley, southern Bulgaria. The assemblage is radiocarbon dated to the 8th century BCE and represents one of the few well-documented Early Iron Age equine skeletons from Bulgaria.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Preserved skeletal elements were examined macroscopically following standard zooarchaeological and palaeopathological protocols. Selected pathological elements were analysed using radiography and computed tomography (CT). Age, sex, and withers height were estimated using osteological and dental criteria.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The individual was identified as an adult mare with an estimated withers height of approximately 133 cm. Pathological changes include pronounced dental attrition affecting the upper and lower premolars, degenerative alterations of the thoracic vertebrae and associated ribs, and periosteal proliferation at the proximal phalanges.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The anatomical distribution of the lesions indicates prolonged and repetitive mechanical loading. Dental wear patterns are consistent with bit use, while vertebral and phalangeal changes suggest sustained labour related to draught and load-bearing activities.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Early Iron Age equine remains are rare across the Balkan Peninsula. This study provides rare palaeopathological evidence for early horse exploitation in southeastern Europe.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Poor preservation of the skull limits assessment of cranial trauma.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>Further palaeopathological studies of Early Iron Age horses are needed to refine interpretations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 119-127"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146120246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The use of Fisher’s exact test in contingency table analysis in palaeopathology","authors":"S. Mays ,&nbsp;S. Stark","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The controversial nature of Fisher’s exact test (FET) in contingency table analysis is well-known in most disciplines. Our purpose is to outline the major difficulties with the test that underlie debates over its use as an alternative to chi-square for sparsely populated contingency tables; to assess their implications for the use of FET in palaeopathology; and to suggest possible alternatives.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Review of FET in the statistical and applied statistical literature, together with consideration of the circumstances under which FET is customarily used in palaeopathology.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Palaeopathology data likely violate the fixed marginals assumption of FET. The extent to which this militates against its use is a matter of debate, but we note that analytical approaches more congruent with the nature of palaeopathology research designs have been developed in the 90 years since Fisher proposed his test.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Chi-square is more robust to contingency table sparseness than is commonly realised. When it is countermanded, approaches such as Monte Carlo simulation may be more appropriate than FET.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>FET is widely used in palaeopathology. Alternative approaches, for which we provide R scripts, may be preferable, and may help to provide increased rigour in statistical analysis in palaeopathology.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>The extent to which violation of the fixed marginals assumption of FET militates against its use has long been debated, and we do not provide a definitive solution to this for palaeopathology, but instead limit ourselves to describing the problem and suggesting alternatives.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for Further Work</h3><div>We hope our paper serves as a stimulus for wider discussion of statistical methods within palaeopathology, a field that currently lacks an extensive applied statistical literature.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 135-139"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An intersectional and Bayesian investigation of pleural disease in industrializing England (1700–1857CE)","authors":"Derek A. Boyd","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.11.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.11.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study used an intersectional lens to investigate pleural disease burden in adults from industrial-era England.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>Demographic (age-at-death and biological sex) and paleopathological data (periosteal new bone on the visceral rib) were collected from the skeletal remains of 478 adults from Barton-upon-Humber (St. Peter’s Church), London (New Bunhill Fields and St. Bride’s Fleet Street), and North Shields (Coach Lane).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A Bayesian logistic model with priors informed by historical respiratory mortality trends was fitted to the skeletal data to estimate the posterior probability of presenting rib lesions among social strata defined by biological sex, socioeconomic status (SES), and region of burial.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The model identified an association between SES, region, and rib lesion probability, which translated into three stratum-level clusters: higher SES Londoners (lowest), lower SES Londoners (highest), and the remaining strata (intermediate). Median age-at-death was substantially lower for individuals with than without lesions.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Variation in pleural disease burden was attributed to environmental privilege among affluent Londoners, differences in the pace of urbanization, and the sociohistorical contexts of the skeletal samples.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This study used Bayesian inference to quantify the health effects of intersectionality in a historical population, providing a theory-driven approach that incorporates archival, mortuary, and skeletal data.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>The impact of selective mortality within strata is unclear due to sample size issues.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for future research</h3><div>Research is needed to locate additional identities hidden within the archaeological record that may have interacted multiplicatively with class and gender to influence respiratory health in the past.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 20-31"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145616674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Known unknowns and the osteological paradox: Why bioarchaeology needs agent-based models","authors":"Amy S. Anderson ,&nbsp;Sharon N. DeWitte","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This paper demonstrates computational modeling’s value as a tool for mapping the impact of hidden variables and evaluating the accuracy of statistical methods in bioarchaeology.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>As a working example, this paper presents an agent-based model of a 1,000-person cohort of individuals who can form an unspecified skeletal lesion at any age between birth and ten years and enter a simulated cemetery at the end of their lives. Skeletal lesions either have no effect on mortality risk (scenario 1) or are associated with doubled mortality risk (scenario 2).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The agent-based model simulates data on individual age at death and lesion status. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis is run on each simulated dataset, comparing survival estimates for individuals with and without lesions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Survival analyses underestimate the true value of lesion-associated mortality risk in early life in scenario 2 and produce a false lesion-associated survival advantage under the null conditions of scenario 1.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Researchers should account for the ages of a skeletal lesion’s developmental window, where known, when assessing lesion-associated mortality. Survival analyses return accurate results when they exclude individuals in the ages of active lesion formation.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Modeling experiments can identify which archaeologically unmeasurable variables have the greatest impact on estimates of population health and outline the ways in which they bias estimates of past health from the skeletal record.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>The only limits on modeling are limits of imagination and common sense.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for future research</h3><div>Many other archaeologically hidden variables remain to be explored with this approach.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 32-43"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145663076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of early life environment on later life mortality in catastrophic and non-catastrophic medieval skeletal series from Kutná Hora-Sedlec (Czech Republic, 13th–16th century)","authors":"Hana Brzobohatá,&nbsp;Filip Velímský,&nbsp;Jan Frolík","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study sought to determine whether the early life environment, broadly characterized by adult lower-limb long bone metrics, is related to later mortality under normal and catastrophic conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>The sample for the study was composed of adult human skeletal remains excavated from a medieval cemetery from the 13th to 16th century in Kutná Hora-Sedlec (Czech Republic) (n = 390) under catastrophic (n = 242) and non-catastrophic (n = 148) contexts.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We collected combined femoral–tibial lengths as a proxy for stature and vertical femoral head breadths as a proxy for body mass. Two-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the effects of the age at death and context of burial on sex-disaggregated osteometric variables.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results showed (1) significant associations between the burial context and both variables in males (shorter lengths/breadths in the catastrophic group), and (2) interaction between the age at death, and the burial context and both variables in females (shorter lengths/breadths were observed among young women who had died during catastrophes).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Adverse living conditions during the growth period could result in reduced resistance to famine/pathogens, and a shorter lifespan in adulthood.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The results of this study contribute to the growing body of research on long bone metrics as a cumulative measure of health and welfare during growth and on the importance of optimal growth conditions for longevity and resilience.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>We merged two mortality crises, the nature of which has not yet been fully determined, in the catastrophic dataset.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for future research</h3><div>Following assignment of mass graves in the future, comparisons should be made between the first and second mortality crises.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 76-86"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cribra orbitalia and cribra cranii in perspective: Rethinking etiology through life course and ONE Paleopathology approaches","authors":"Ricardo A.M.P. Gomes ,&nbsp;Ana Luisa Santos","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2026.01.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Porous cranial lesions (PCLs)—cribra orbitalia and cribra cranii—are frequently observed in human skeletal remains. This article aims to review how PCLs have been interpreted over time and to challenge oversimplistic associations while proposing a more comprehensive and integrative framework for their analysis in line with recent bioarcheological perspectives.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A critical literature review of theoretical and empirical studies on PCLs was conducted.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>This analysis highlights the limitations of interpreting PCLs either as “nonspecific stress indicators” or a marker of anemia, without differential diagnosis. Recent research has expanded the range of potential etiologies, emphasizing the need to consider environmental and living conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>It is proposed that PCLs should be interpreted through a life course perspective, situating individuals and/or groups within their sociocultural and environmental contexts, in line with the ONE Paleopathology approach. Such perspectives not only refine diagnostic accuracy but also deepen our understanding of the complex interplay between biology, environment, and culture in shaping health and disease of past populations.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>The discussion is primarily conceptual and reliant on published data; empirical validation through new imaging and biomolecular studies is necessary. The limited availability of cross-species and longitudinal data constrains definitive conclusions.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>Future studies should apply CT and micro-CT analyses to both human and non-human, explore longitudinal clinical data, and integrate paleogenetic and environmental information to clarify PCLs etiology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 108-118"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146115394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A probable case of multiple osteochondromas from an Early Medieval burial site in the Venetian lagoon (Italy): Differential diagnosis and review of cases from archaeological contexts","authors":"Serena Viva ,&nbsp;Norma Lonoce ,&nbsp;Lorenzo Bigo ,&nbsp;Silvia Cadamuro ,&nbsp;Sauro Gelichi","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.10.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.10.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To evaluate a pathological condition on a skeleton from medieval Veneto (Italy).</div></div><div><h3>Materials</h3><div>A male skeleton (T97), aged 35–50 years, from the Early Medieval phase of an archaeological site in the Venetian Lagoon, was examined and radiocarbon dated to Cal 954–1052 CE.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The skeletal remains were examined by anthropological methods, by radiographic imaging, full skeletal CT scans, and histological examination. A differential diagnosis was conducted following established protocols.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 129 osteochondromas were observed. Both types were evident: sessile and pedunculated. Osteochondromas were evident in most bones of the appendicular skeleton; the skull, vertebrae and ribs remained unaffected. Short stature and forearm deformity were also observed.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The differential diagnosis identifies these pathological findings as manifestations of an advanced form of multiple osteochondromas (MO).</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The significance of this diagnosis lies in its ability to shed light on the natural progression of MO, particularly in the absence of modern surgical interventions. Additionally, it highlights the survival and adaptation of an individual with disabilities within a medieval society.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>To achieve a definitive confirmation of this diagnosis, genetic testing would be essential. The discovery of only one individual with this condition among 181 analyzed in the context prevents further broader conclusions.</div></div><div><h3>Suggestions for further research</h3><div>Genetic Analysis to confirm the diagnosis of MO and investigate potential genetic mutations, such as those in the <em>EXT1</em> and <em>EXT2</em> genes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48817,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Paleopathology","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 62-72"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145424630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}