Neoplasm or not? General principles of morphologic analysis of dry bone specimens (original) (raw)
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Archeological bone often lends itself to histological analysis. Sections from bone samples approximately one thousand years old may show as much structural preservation as those only a few hundred years old; hence, it appears that the degree of preservation is not necessarily affected by time. Enough structure may be preserved to permit the diagnosis of metabolic disorders of bone which might go undetected by other methods. This type of analysis can be utilized to accept or reject individual remains suspected of being pathological on the basis of other, less precise diagnostic techniques.
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Paleopathology is the study of trauma and disease as may be observed in ancient (human) remains. In contrast to its central role in current medical practice, microscopy plays a rather modest role in paleopathology. This is at least partially due to the differences between fresh and decomposed (i.e. skeletonized or 'dry bone') tissue samples. This review discusses these differences and describes how they affect the histological analysis of paleopathological specimens. First, we provide a summary of some general challenges related to the histological analysis of palaeopathological specimen. Second, the reader is introduced in bone tissue histology and bone tissue dynamics. The remainder of the paper is dedicated to the diagnostic value of dry bone histology. Its value and limitations is illustrated by comparing several well-studied paleopathological cases with similar contemporary, clinical cases. This review illustrates that due to post-mortem loss of soft tissue, a limited n...
Microscopy and microanalysis : the official journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada, 2015
When bone is exposed to the burial environment it may experience structural changes induced by multiple agents. The study of postmortem alterations is important to differentiate decomposition phenomena from normal physiological processes or pathological lesions, as well as to assess bone tissue quality. Microscopy is of great utility to evaluate the integrity of bone microstructure and it provides significant data on long-term bone decomposition. A total of 18 human bone sections (eight archeological and ten retrieved from an identified skeletal collection) were selected for analysis under plane light and polarized light. The aim of this exploratory study was to analyze the impact of diagenesis and taphonomy on the bone microstructure, as well as on the differential diagnosis of pathological conditions. The results showed that the microscopy approach to bone tissues contributed materially as an aid in the detailed description of the main diagenetic changes observed. It showed that g...
Methodology for the paleopathological study of human skeletons
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The study of ancient diseases in prehistoric is based on human skeletons as an important source for knowledge of some aspects of human life in that period, and the paleopathological study relies mainly on a comprehensive microscopic examination of bones and teeth with the naked eye to detect pathological lesions, If necessary, X-rays and MRIs are used to improve or confirm the diagnosis. This research paper presents the methodology adopted in the diagnosis of pathological lesions of human bones with the proposal to rely on some means to facilitate the organization of data and their precise analysis to achieve correct results.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2009
The assertion that the microstructure of periosteal new bone formation can be used to differentiate between disease etiologies (Schultz: Yrbk Phys Anthropol 44 [2001] 106-147; Schultz: Identification of pathological conditions in human skeletal remains, 2nd ed. London: Academic Press [2003] 73-109) was tested in a pilot-study, using diagnosed bone specimens from St George's Hospital Pathology Museum, London, UK. Embedded bone specimens exhibiting pathological periosteal new bone formation were examined using scanning electron microscopy in back-scattered electron imaging mode (SEM-BSE). The results suggest that several histological features (i.e. Grenzstreifen, Polsters, and sinuous lacunae) deemed to be diagnostic of specific pathological conditions are of no specific diagnostic value, as they are encountered in pathological conditions of differing disease etiology. These results tie in with a previous investigation demonstrating a lack of diagnostic qualitative or quantitative characteristics seen in the macroscopic and radiographic appearance of periosteal reactions (Weston:
Interpretation of Palaeopathological Finds
In recent years a number of medical anthropological analyses of skeletal remains (an integral component of which was evaluation of pathological change) from various historical periods was conducted at the department of Medical anthropology, anatomical Institute, Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk university. the main objective of this article is to provide a summary of all diagnostic experience with palaeopathological finds, and research conducted into the optimum methodology for interpretation. the same procedures as those commonly used in medical practice (1. history, 2. objective examination, 3. working diagnosis, 4. differential diagnosis, 5. final diagnosis) are applied to palaeopathological diagnoses, but modified in consideration of the peculiarities of skeletal sets. Since the possibility of obtaining anamnesis data and of applying common methods of medical examination are both substantially limited in the study of osteological material, it is also necessary to collect all available literary and iconographic data sources. as a result palaeopathological diagnostics requires extensive knowledge from several branches of science, particularly anthropology, medicine, and history.
The synergy between radiographic and macroscopic observation of skeletal lesions on dry bone
International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2019
The diagnosis of bone lesions is a fundamental part of the study of skeletal remains, both in the archeological and forensic context. On the one side, the literature proved the relevance of radiography for the detection of bone lesions; on the other side, the careful macroscopic observation of the morphology of bone lesions is often underestimated. For this study, we examined and performed plain radiography on 14 skeletons of the CAL Milano Cemetery Skeletal Collection diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, multiple myeloma, metastatic cancer, and osteomalacia to compare the macroscopic morphology and radiographic visualization of bone lesions. At least 200 osteolytic lesions and 65 areas of proliferative bone reaction (either spongiosclerotic or periosteal) were studied. We realized "comparative sets" of macroscopic pictures and radiographic imaging of the same skeletal elements to allow comparisons of detection and recognition of bone lesions. As a result, while trabecular lesions may be lost through naked eye observation, many lesions can also be unperceived on radiographs due to contrast, including periosteal reactions, osteolytic lesions, and spongiosclerosis. The aim of this research was to investigate the strengths and pitfalls of digital radiography and macroscopic analysis and to demonstrate the synergy of a complementary approach between the two methods for lesion analysis in dry bone.