Skeletal metastatic carcinoma: A case from 15th–20th century Coimbra,Portugal

This paper discusses the differential diagnosis of unusual and distinct pathological changes in the skeletal remains of a 40+‐year‐old female from 15th–20th century Coimbra (Portugal). The most affected area seems to have been the skull, but multiple lesions, lytic and/or blastic, have been found throughout the post‐cranial skeleton, more specifically in the scapulae, clavicles, humerus, sternum, ribs, sacrum, innominates and femurs. The differential diagnosis of the lesions gave rise to several possible pathological conditions, namely, Langerhans cell histiocytosis (granulomatosis or Histiocytosis X), multiple myeloma and metastatic carcinoma. Various macroscopic and radiological aspects lead us to consider metastatic carcinoma as the most probable diagnosis. Despite the argumentative identity of the possible primary lesion, age, sex and the mixed nature of the osseous response are consistent with cancer of the breast but do not exclude other carcinomas, namely lung cancer. With temporal and regional differences emerging in the frequency of malignant tumours, the identification of new cases becomes important, particularly from geographic areas where few cases have been reported. In fact, the present report adds to the only case of metastatic carcinoma detected in non‐identified Portuguese human skeletal remains until now. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Secondary cancer in an Anglo-Saxon female

A mature/elderly female skeleton from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Eccles, Kent, is described. A diagnosis of Paget's disease of the left tibia is made. The macroscopic radiological features of perforating and non-perforating osteolytic lesions in the cranium and femora are described. The differential diagnosis is discussed. The lesions are considered to be due to metastatic carcinoma, possibly from a primary carcinoma of the breast. There is a brief resumé of other recorded examples of metastatic carcinoma in early skeletons.     

Metastatic carcinoma: palaeopathology and differential diagnosis

A 62 year‐old contemporary white female diagnosed with metastatic carcinoma of the breast was examined after skeletonisation. She never received chemical, hormonal or radiation therapy. Because of the confirmed clinical diagnosis, lack of medicinal intervention, and quality of bone preservation, this specimen provides a comparative standard for metastatic carcinoma and differential diagnosis of idiopathic dry bone pathology. We detail gross and radiographic bone response to this disease and differentially diagnose the skeleton against Langerhans cell histiocytosis and multiple myeloma, conditions capable of modifying bone in characteristic patterns that may mimic metastatic carcinoma. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Better a Broader Diagnosis Than a Misdiagnosis: The Study of a Neoplastic Condition in a Male Individual who Died in Early 20th Century (Coimbra,Portugal)

The paleopathological record of neoplastic conditions in the past is considered scarce. The detection of tumours in ancient populations is hindered by the quality and quantity of signs visible on the skeleton, the methodological approach, the preservation of remains, and by difficulties of differential diagnosis. The aims of this paper are to report the extensive and multiple osteolytic lesions observed in an adult male and to discuss the possible etiology of these lesions. The individual, a 71‐year‐old male who died in 1932, is part of the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection. Records indicate that he died of a ‘heart lesion’. The present study used macroscopic, radiological, and computerized tomography examinations to analyse the skeletal remains of the individual number 439. The type and pattern of the lesions detected, which were most prominent on the skull, were compared with both clinical and paleopathological diagnostic criteria for different nosologic groups. The differential diagnosis addresses problems expressed both in clinical and in paleopathological literature with regard to the difficulties in distinguishing metastatic tumours from multiple myeloma. The nature of the lesions represented by this individual precludes an exact diagnosis. Therefore, we employed a broader category, neoplastic condition, instead of choosing a more specific diagnosis that would likely have resulted in a misdiagnosis due to overlapping features on this individual's condition. Further investigations are necessary to establish more replicable indicators and to improve confidence in retrospective diagnosis of these types of conditions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

定州北庄子商墓发掘简报

<正> 定州市新建铁路货场位于定州市西北郊的北庄子村北,占地面积204亩,京广铁路正从货场南侧穿过。1991年春季,根据定州市有关部门的反映,货场正位于省级保护单位——定州市汉墓群的保护区内,并且“中山简王刘焉墓(即M150)亦当在货场占地范围内。因此,在省有关部门的支持下,由河北省文物研究所组织省、地、县专业人员对货场进行了重点考古钻探和发掘。全部考古工作从6月初至12月上旬结束,实际田野工作历时五个月。共发掘各时期墓葬80座(包括M150),其中商代墓葬42座,大致位于货场的东半部(图一)今把商墓的情况简报如下。     

江苏徐州市翠屏山西汉刘治墓发掘简报

2003年,在江苏徐州市翠屏山清理一座竖穴墓道洞室墓,系在山体上开凿而成。在墓的外围有石砌的两重墓垣。在墓道底部椁室内有一棺,棺内葬一人。洞室有双扇石门,室内用漆木板装饰,葬具为两重棺,置于漆木棺床上,棺内葬一人。出土遗物以陶器为主。墓葬年代为西汉早期,墓主刘治可能为楚国王室成员。     

The Hall of Oakham

In February 1980 the Winchester City Archaeology Office undertook the excavation of a burial discovered by workmen in the south aisle of Winchester Cathedral. A partly decomposed skeleton and the remains of woollen clothing and leather shoes were found contained in a stone coffin. Analysis of the skeletal material, textile and leather combined with the evidence of its location suggest the burial of a man of high status in medieval society. On the basis of the clothes and in the absence of any ecclesiastical parallels he seems likely to have been a layperson rather than a cleric. The style of shoes and coffin make a date of burial before the mid-thirteenth century likely.     

Multiple myeloma in an early medieval skeleton

Detailed studies on neoplasms in prehistoric populations are rare. Each well-documented case can therefore add to our knowledge. In former times, palaeopathology could present only tentative diagnoses in the case of tumours. Today, modern diagnostic methods and a comparison with established cases make exact evaluations and their verification possible. During our study it became obvious that criteria for the diagnosis of recent tumours can be used as a guide. In this paper we present the most important findings of a malignant primary bone tumour (multiple myeloma) in an early medieval skeleton and its differential diagnoses. Even in the absence of histological findings, the remaining criteria (X-ray, age, localization, macroscopic features) permit the diagnosis of multiple myeloma to be made with some certainty.     

山西翼城县大河口西周墓地

2007年以来,对山西翼城县大河口墓地进行了发掘,已清理00多座墓葬,均为长方形竖穴土坑墓,有棺椁,墓主多为仰身直肢。大中型墓以随葬青铜器为主,小墓以随葬陶器为主。这处墓地墓主的国族名为霸,霸伯是最高权力拥有者。大河口墓地的发掘对于研究西周分封制度、器用制度和族群融合等具有重要意义。     

重庆开县余家坝墓地2000年发掘简报

重庆开县余家坝墓地系战国晚期巴人墓地,2000年发掘墓葬50余座,墓葬形制皆为竖穴土坑,葬具多一棺 一椁,葬式皆呈单人仰身直肢。男性墓中多随葬成组兵器,其上多饰虎纹;女性墓中则多见玉玦串饰。此基地的完整揭 露和研究,对认识三峡地区巴族历史有重要意义。     

Streitfragen über Kernenergie

Abstract

Despite significant improvement of cytostatic treatment results in certain cancer types during the past years, the final outcome in common solid neoplasms remains unsatisfactory. Findings of clinical studies dealing with combination chemotherapy of metastatic breast cancer which involved almost 10 000 patients were reviewed. No significant improvement in the overall survival times (average 18 months after the start of therapy) was found in this selected group of patients who were treated with intensive palliative chemotherapy. Recently, increased efforts have been undertaken to identify new, active cytostatics in suitable preclinical systems. Promising results from experimental studies carried out during the last 3 years are presented. HECNU, a new water-soluble nitrosourea, has shown significant activity in brain tumours. Steroid-hormone-linked nitrosoureas have been found to be superior to conventional nitrosoureas in experimental mammary carcinoma. In this model, alkylphosphocholines exhibited outstanding therapeutic activity and a completely novel toxicity profile. 4-amino-N-(2′-aminophenyl) benzamide has proved effective in the treatment of slow-growing tumours. Tumour-inhibiting complex compounds with ruthenium or titanium as central metals have shown significant activity in colorectal carcinoma. Osteogenic tumours were treated effectively with razoxane or cisplatin-linked phosphonates. Some of the compounds mentioned are undergoing clinical trials.     

Neolithic case of metastasizing carcinoma: Multiple approaches to differential diagnosis

The remains of the fragmented skeleton of a mature male individual from a Neolithic mass burial (ca. 5000 years BP) are presented. The lesions consist of osteoblastic proliferation and replacement of previously normal haematopoietic tissue. The most affected area seems to have been the iliac blade. So-called ‘seeding’ of tumour tissue has been found in different loci in the femoral neck, sacrum, L4 and scapula. Differential diagnosis points to metastatic carcinoma, most likely from the prostrate gland. In order to support the observations, radiological and histological analyses have been performed. Trace element analyses of tumour and control samples have shown the limited contribution of these data to ascertain the aetiology of secondary neoplasias in buried material.     

Field anthropology: application to burial contexts in prehistoric Southeast Asia

The context of burials in archaeological sites, that is whether the body was inhumed, wrapped, or in a coffin, is an aspect of mortuary ritual that has been missing from English-language publications on the subject. This is despite the development and use in France over at least the last two decades of methods of determining the context under the rubric ‘l'Anthropologie de Terrain’, or Field Anthropology. This paper briefly reviews the methods and applies them to prehistoric burial samples from two sites in Southeast Asia. This shows that burials at the Bronze Age site of Ban Lum Khao were either in coffins or wrapped. The practice of coffin burial appears to have been abandoned later, as all burials at the nearby Iron Age site of Noen U-Loke were wrapped.     

A palaeopathological case of a right maxilla's cemento‐ossifying fibroma

Cemento‐ossifying fibromas (COFs) are rare benign tumours affecting the maxilla and the mandible. The COF, of nonodontogenic origin, consists of a heterogeneous mixture of bone tissues and cementum. The skeleton of burial 154 excavated from the site of Magnicourt‐ en‐Comté (Pas‐de‐Calais) has been studied palaeopathologically. The cemetery is dated from the Merovingian period (6^th–7th century AD) and included 262 burials. In this study, we focus on the differential diagnosis of cemento‐ossifying fibroma and other dyplastic and cystic lesions. Various macroscopic, radiological and histological aspects enable us to make a positive diagnosis of COF. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

河南淅川县徐家岭11号楚墓

徐家岭楚墓位于河南省淅川县南47公里处的仓房镇沿江村郭家窑小组东南,即丹江口水库蓄水前丹江西岸的丘陵上,南距下寺、和尚岭4公里,西面为龙山,东、南面为     

“The Roman Giant”: Overgrowth Syndrome in Skeletal Remains from the Imperial Age

A very tall skeleton was found during archaeological excavations in the territory of Fidenae, an administrative centre of the Roman territorial organization, situated along the Via Salaria about 7 km north of Rome (Italy). The individual was a young male, dated back to the Imperial Age (3^rd century AD), presenting a very tall but normally proportioned stature, estimated around 202 cm. The long bones showed incomplete epiphyseal union; therefore, the stature would probably have been taller, if he had lived longer. In this work, the metric data are compared with those from the Roman Imperial Age population, and differential diagnosis is discussed. The skeletal evidence is characteristic of a form of gigantism, a rare growth disease that may be linked to different syndromes. The most common etiology is associated with a dysfunction of the pituitary gland, which causes overproduction of the growth hormone (hGH) during childhood. This endocrine disorder stimulates cartilaginous activity at the growth plate, delaying epiphyseal fusion and resulting in increased bone length. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification of historical human skeletal remains: a case study using skeletal and dental age,history and DNA

Excavation of an early historical (circa 1900) church cemetery in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, revealed the graves of six individuals. All but one had been previously excavated and the individuals were re‐interred elsewhere. The remaining grave contained a coffin burial of an infant including most of the skeleton, crowns of forming deciduous teeth, scalp and hair. The remains were excavated and historical research was carried out to determine possible families who had used the cemetery. Skeletal and dental age estimates pointed to a particular individual described in historical records. This identification was confirmed through more precise ageing by dental microstructure, sex determination using DNA, and finally, maternal relatedness by comparison of mtDNA with a living female relative. In addition to describing the analytical methods used, this paper demonstrates the importance of accurately identifying historical burials, particularly when living relatives remain in the community. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Indications of embalming in Roman Greece by physical,chemical and histological analysis

The partially mummified remains of a high-status female (ca. 1700 BP, Thessaloniki, Greece) were found inside a Roman-type marble sarcophagus containing a lead coffin. The individual was positioned on a wooden pallet, wrapped in bandages, and covered with a gold-embroidered purple silk cloth. Besides the clothes, remnants of soft tissue as well as the individual's original hair style and eyebrows were exceptionally well preserved. In addition to the macroscopic examination, microscopic and biochemical analyses were undertaken. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were applied to examine the tissue preservation and probable mechanisms of mummification. The presence of chemical components, such as sesquiterpenes, triterpenoids, and diterpenoids, originating from coniferous and pistacia resins, myrrh, and other spices, verify ancient information on preparation methods of the dead in Greek and Roman times. These chemical components are thought to have played a prominent role in the mummification mechanism in this particular case. The potential effect of the lead coffin in the mummification process was also examined. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis failed to detect lead penetration into the tissues, suggesting that the coffin played a limited role in the preservation of soft tissue.     

湖南桂阳刘家岭宋代壁画墓发掘简报

2010年7月,湖南省文物考古研究所在湖南省桂阳县城西刘家岭发掘了一座宋代砖室墓。出土的随葬器物有陶器、瓷器、银器、铜器等,并在甬道两壁、墓室门两侧、墓室四壁及券顶发现大量壁画,墓室内棺床上绘有地画。甬道壁画为世俗题材,墓室壁画主要为宗教和神话题材,地画图案具有装饰性。壁画与地画在方位上形成两两对应的布局,内容新颖。