Giuseppe Armocida

Different types of traumatic lesions on mediaeval skeletons from archaeological sites in Varese (North Italy): Diagnosis on ante mortal fractures using macroscopic, radiological and CT analysis

This is the medical history of three skeletons from archaeological sites in the province of Varese that are interesting because they show signs of traumatic injury to the skull and postcranial skeleton. Fractures of two of the skeletons were analysed by CT scan and radiological investigations to understand the extent of the damage and to hypothesise the cause. The study of lesions on ancient human remains is important to understand the degree of interpersonal violence within ancient communities and to reconstruct the dynamics of a violent episode.

New paleoradiological investigations of ancient human remains from North West Lombardy archaeological excavations

ObjectiveSince its birth in 1895, radiology has been used to study ancient mummies. The purpose of this article is to present paleoradiological investigations conducted on several medieval human remains in Varese province. Anthropological (generic identification) and paleopathological analyses were carried out with the support of diagnostic imaging (X-ray and CT scans).Materials and methodsHuman remains were discovered during excavations of medieval archaeological sites in northwest Lombardy. Classical physical anthropological methods were used for the macroscopic identification of the human remains. X-ray and CT scans were performed on the same scanner (16-layer Hitachi Eclos 16 X-ray equipment).ResultsRadiological analysis permitted investigating (1) the sex, (2) age of death, (3) type of trauma, (4) therapeutic interventions and (5) osteomas in ancient human remains. In particular, X-ray and CT examinations showed dimorphic facial traits on the mummified skull, and the same radiological approaches allowed determining the age at death from a mummified lower limb. CT analyses allow investigating different types of traumatic lesions in skulls and postcranial skeleton portions and reconstructing the gait and functional outcomes of a fractured femur. Moreover, one case of possible Gardner’s syndrome (GS) was postulated from observing multiple osteomas in an ancient skull.ConclusionAmong the medical tests available to the clinician, radiology is the most appropriate first-line procedure for a diagnostic approach to ancient human remains because it can be performed without causing any significant damage to the specimen.

A case of Paget from a Northern Italy medieval necropolis

An excavation conducted in 2002 by the Lombardy Archaeological Heritage in the St. Giulio Church (Cassano Magnago-Northern Italy) revealed an adult skeleton with an important alteration of the left femur. The femur, longer than the contralateral, exhibited an expansion of the full diaphysis; the surface was coarsened and porous. In cross section, it appeared that almost all the cortical bone had been converted into cancellous bone. Macroscopic and radiological alterations are suggestive of the monostotic form of Pagets disease, a chronic disorder, characterized by focal areas of excessive osteoclastic bone resorption followed by a secondary increase in osteoblastic bone formation. Differential diagnosis is complex for Pagets disease, requiring histological analysis, which revealed a thickened and disorganized trabecular pattern with thick cement lines. Such features, resembling to a mosaic pattern, are typical of Pagets disease.