Paleoradiology of Egyptian Mummies: A CT Imaging Survey of Cancer in Ancient Remains (original) (raw)
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Prostate metastatic bone cancer in an Egyptian Ptolemaic mummy, a proposed radiological diagnosis
International Journal of Paleopathology, 2011
There is great interest in the history and occurrence of human cancer in antiquity and particularly in ancient Egyptian populations. Despite the number of Egyptian mummies and skeletons studied through various means, evidence of primary or metastatic cancer lesions is rare. The Digital Radiography and Multi Detector Computerized Tomography (MDCT) scans of a male Ptolemaic Egyptian mummy, from the Museu Nacional de Arqueologia (MNA) in Lisbon displayed several focal dense bone lesions located mainly on the spine, pelvis and proximal extremities. The exceptional detail of the MDCT images allowed the proposed diagnosis of osteoblastic metastatic disease, with the prostate being the main hypothesis of origin. These radiologic findings in a wrapped mummy, to the best of our knowledge, have never previously been documented, and could be the oldest evidence of this disease, as well as being the cause of death.
Egyptian Mummies and Radiology: A Closer Link
Yearbook of Mummy Studies 2011 (1): 37-44, 2011
Mummification was abolished in the seventh century AD. After that date, mummies began to capture the collective imagination, creating a mysterious fascination that still continues today. From the beginning, the radiological study of Egyptian mummies allowed the collection of medical, as well as anthropological and archaeological, evidence. Shortly after the discovery of X-rays in 1895, Petrie performed one of the first radiological studies of an Egyptian mummy. By the end of the 1970s, computed tomography (CT) scanning permitted more in-depth studies to be carried out. From CT images it is possible to obtain a three-dimensional reconstruction of the mummy which provides important new information, also thanks to virtual endoscopic technique known as 'fly-through'. Moreover, starting from CT data and using graphic software, an image of the face of the mummified individual at the time of death can now be reconstructed. The history of imaging, from the simplest to the most sophisticated technique, allows the appreciation of the importance of radiological studies of Egyptian mummies.
Scenes from the Past: Multidetector CT of Egyptian Mummies of the Redpath Museum
RadioGraphics, 2012
As a nondestructive method of historical and anthropologic inquiry, imaging has played an important role in mummy studies over the past several decades. Recent technologic advances have made multidetector computed tomography (CT) an especially useful means for deepening the present understanding of ancient cultures by examining preserved human remains. In April 2011, three ancient Egyptian human mummies from the Redpath Museum of McGill University were examined with 320-section multidetector CT as part of the IMPACT Radiological Mummy Database project headquartered at the University of Western Ontario. Whole-body scanning was performed with a section thickness of 0.5 mm and a peak voltage of 120 kVp, and the raw CT datasets were postprocessed by using smooth body and high-resolution bone convolution filters. Two of the mummies were scanned at different energy levels (80 and 135 keV). The high-resolution CT scans revealed the details of mummification and allowed observations about the socioeconomic and health status of the human subjects based on both the mummification technique used and the appearance of the remains, particularly the bones and teeth. The paleopathologic information obtained from the scans confirmed some findings in studies performed in the same mummies in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The CT scans also demonstrated a high degree of variability in Egyptian mortuary practice, variability that is not generally recognized in the literature. Unusual features that were observed included a relatively uncommon retained heart in mummy RM2718, retained lungs in a mummy from which the heart had been extracted (RM2720), and a cartonnage plaque placed over the left abdomen of a mummy that had been eviscerated transperineally (RM2717). © RSNA, 2012 •
International Journal of Paleopathology, 2018
This study summarizes data from 154 paleopathological studies documenting 272 archaeologically recovered individuals exhibiting skeletal or soft tissue evidence of cancer (malignant neoplastic disease) between 1.8 million years ago and 1900 CE. The paper reviews and summarizes the temporal, spatial and demographic distribution of the evidence and the methods used to provide the cancer diagnoses. Metastasis to bone is the most widely reported evidence (n = 161), followed by multiple myeloma (n = 55). In the dataset, males were represented more than females (M = 127, F = 94), and middle-adults (35-49) and old-adults (50+) were represented most among age groups (MA = 77, OA = 66). The majority of the evidence comes from Northern Europe (n = 51) and Northern Africa (n = 46). The data are summarized in the Cancer Research in Ancient Bodies (CRAB) Database, a growing online resource for future paleo-oncological research. This systematic review contributes to broader studies of malignant neoplastic disease in antiquity; it provides an overview of paleo-oncological data, discusses the many practical and methodological challenges of paleo-oncological research, and dispels presumptions about cancer's rarity in the past.
Multifocal bone lesions in an ancient Egyptian child mummy
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2018
Ancient mummies are very valuable human remains especially for the study of the evolution of disease. Noninvasive imaging methods such as computed tomography and X-ray are the gold standard to study such precious remains. We report the case of an ancient Egyptian child mummy from the Musée d'art et d'histoire in Geneva, Switzerland with multifocal sclerotic bone lesions affecting the spine and the left hip. The mummy is of unknown provenance, dating to the Roman period with an estimated age of 4-5 years. An infectious origin of the lesions such as tuberculosis seems most likely. Also regarding the time period an infectious etiology is plausible, since there is evidence that tuberculosis was wide spread in ancient Egypt. However, multiple differential diagnoses are discussed, since the evaluation of disease in ancient remains is different to the clinical standards. Medical history and additional invasive investigations are lacking. Also the desiccation and mummification processes lead to alteration of the tissue resulting in anatomico-morphological distortions. Thus our hypothesis can not be proven and multiple differential diagnoses need to be taken into consideration in this rare case. 120 kV tube voltage, 198-475 mA X-ray Tube Current and 0,625 × 0.625-mm detector configuration. For post-processing including multi-planar reconstructions (MPR) and three-dimensional volume rendering (3D VR) reconstructions OsiriX-MD 64 bit (version
La Radiologia Medica 113(5): 615-26, 2008
A few centuries after the practice of mummification was finally abolished in the seventh century A.D., mummies began to capture the collective imagination, exerting a mysterious fascination that continues to this day. From the beginning, the radiological study of Egyptian mummies permitted the collection not only of medical data but also of anthropological and archaeological evidence. The first radiological study of an Egyptian mummy was performed by Flinders Petrie shortly after the discovery of X-rays in 1895, and since then, radiology has never stopped investigating these special patients. By the end of the 1970s, computed tomography (CT) scanning permitted more in-depth studies to be carried out without requiring the mummies to be removed from their cartonnage. CT images can be used to obtain a three-dimensional reconstruction of the mummy that provides important new information, in part thanks to the virtual endoscopy technique known as "fly through". Moreover, starting from CT data and using sophisticated graphics software, one can reconstruct an image of the face of the mummified individual at the time of his or her death. The history of imaging, from its origins until now, from the simplest to the most sophisticated technique, allows us to appreciate why these studies have been, and still are, fundamental in the study of Egyptian mummies.
Paleoradiology: Advanced CT in the Evaluation of Nine Egyptian Mummies
RadioGraphics, 2002
Axial thin-collimation state-of-the-art spiral computed tomography (CT) was combined with sagittal and coronal reformatting, three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, and virtual "fly-through" techniques to nondestructively study nine Egyptian mummies. These techniques provided important paleopathologic and historical information about mummification techniques, depicted anatomy in the most informative imaging plane, illustrated the soft-tissue preservation and physical appearance of mummies in superb detail, and generated an intriguing virtual tour through hollow mummified remains without harming the specimens themselves. Images generated with these methods can help archaeologists and Egyptologists understand these fascinating members of mankind and can serve as adjunct visual aids for laypersons who are interested in mummies. CT has emerged as the imaging modality of choice for the examination of Egyptian mummies due to its noninvasive cross-sectional nature and inherently superior contrast and spatial resolution. As multi-detector row CT and postprocessing tools evolve, the capabilities and applications of CT will continue to proliferate, attesting to the expanded versatility and utility of CT as a noninvasive research tool in the multidisciplinary study of Egyptian mummies.
Cancer, one of the world's leading causes of death today, remains almost absent relative to other pathological conditions, in the archaeological record, giving rise to the conclusion that the disease is mainly a product of modern living and increased longevity. This paper presents a male, young-adult individual from the archaeological site of Amara West in northern Sudan (c. 1200BC) displaying multiple, mainly osteolytic, lesions on the vertebrae, ribs, sternum, clavicles, scapulae, pelvis, and humeral and femoral heads. Following radiographic, microscopic and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) imaging of the lesions, and a consideration of differential diagnoses, a diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma secondary to an unknown soft tissue cancer is suggested. This represents the earliest complete example in the world of a human who suffered metastatic cancer to date. The study further draws its strength from modern analytical techniques applied to differential diagnoses and the fact that it is firmly rooted within a well-documented archaeological and historical context, thus providing new insights into the history and antiquity of the disease as well as its underlying causes and progression.