Metastatic cancer and endentulism: Exploring comorbidity to assist with differential diagnosis in a case from Vico nel Lazio (Fr, Italy), 13th-15th century CE.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To differentially diagnose cranial lesions noted on a medieval skeleton and explore the importance of comorbidity.
MATERIALS: A skull of an adult female with osteolytic and osteoblastic lesions, edentulism, and an ectopic tooth from an ossuary of the Church of Santa Maria in Vico del Lazio, Frosinone Italy, dating to the Middle Ages.
METHODS: Macroscopic observations of the remains, CT scan, and differential diagnosis was undertaken.
RESULTS: A diagnosis of metastatic cancer (potentially breast cancer) or metastatic neuroblastoma (NBL) is offered.
CONCLUSIONS: Considering the noted comorbidities, this case might represent a rare case of metastatic neuroblastoma.
SIGNIFICANCE: The exploration of comorbidity, in this case the presence of metastatic carcinoma and edentulism, has tremendous potential to expand our knowledge about cancer in the past.
LIMITATIONS: Lack of postcranial elements.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Clinical and paleopathological investigation of comorbidity in modern and archeological populations to develop an evolutionary perspective on the presence of cancer in the past.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Irisin Enhances Osteoblast DifferentiationIn Vitro
- Glucocorticoids suppress Wnt16 expression in osteoblasts in vitro and in vivo
- Interaction between Schwann Cells and Osteoblasts In Vitro
- Administration of cinnamaldehyde promotes osteogenesis in ovariectomized rats and differentiation of osteoblast in vitro
- The Effect of the Major Components of Fructus Cnidii on Osteoblasts In Vitro
- Estrogen depletion alters osteogenic differentiation and matrix production by osteoblasts in vitro
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.