Anat Cell Biol.  2015 Sep;48(3):213-217. 10.5115/acb.2015.48.3.213.

Bone tumors in pre-modern skulls from human skeletal series of Joseon Dynasty

• Shin DH
• Oh CS
• Kim YS
• Kim Y
• Oh SW
• Park JB
• Lee IS
• Kim MJ

• KMID: 2424825
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5115/acb.2015.48.3.213

Abstract

To date, there are still very few reports on benign-tumor cases based on East Asian skeletal series, even though other regions and continents have been well represented. In our study on the Joseon Human Skeletal Series, we identified benign bone tumors in two skeletons (cases Nos. 75 and 96). Our radiological analyses showed both cases to be homogeneous sclerotic bone masses aligned with the cranial vault suture. In a subsequent series of differential diagnoses, we determined both cases to be osteoma, the most common bone-tumor type reported for archaeological samples. Our study is the osteoarchaeological basis for this, the first-ever report on benign bone neoplasm in a pre-modern East Asian population.

Keyword

Benign bone tumor; Osteoma; Paleopathology; Joseon Dynasty; Korea

MeSH Terms

Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Bone Neoplasms
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans*
Korea
Osteoma
Paleopathology
Skeleton
Skull*
Sutures

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Osteoma of case No. 75. (A) Frontal view of calvaria. (B) Superior view of calvaria. (A, B) Circular osteogenic mass (asterisks) located slightly aside from bregma, being in line with the left frontoparietal suture. (C) Well-circumscribed osteogenic mass is observed. (D) The magnified image of panel (C) showing porotic vascularized rim of a lesion (indicated by arrow). (E) Cross-sectional view of osteogenic mass showing external bulging of outer table of diploe with spongy bone. Note bone mass (asterisk) is identified in the outer table of skull.

• 

  Fig. 2 Osteoma of case No. 75 on plain radiograph showing the extent of a lesion. Round homogenous mass with a smooth border (indicated by arrow) could be seen at the center of the image. Radiolucent areas were confirmed as arachnoid granulations.

• 

  Fig. 3 Osteoma of case No. 96 in the left temporal bone. (A, B) Lateral view showing circular osteogenic mass (asterisks) lying in line with squamous suture. The hole shown in the squamous part of temporal bone is postmortem taphonomic change. Panel (C) is seen from above. Note that the margin of circular outgrowth mass above the external acoustic meatus is separated from the surrounding cortical bone.

• 

  Fig. 4 Osteoma of case No. 96 on plain radiograph showing well-circumscribed and homogeneous mass (indicated by arrows) with smooth border. (A) Lateral view. (B) Anterio-posterior view. (C) Magnified image of the mass.

Reference

1. Ortner DJ. Tumors and tumor-like lesions of bone. In : Ortner DJ, editor. Identification of Pathological Conditions in Human Skeletal Remains. 2nd ed. San Diego: Academic Press;2003. p. 503–544.

2. Rogers L. Meningiomas in Pharaoh's people: hyperostosis in ancient Egyptian skulls. Br J Surg. 1949; 36:423.

3. Gladykowska-Rzeczycka J, Urbanowicz M. Multiple exostoses in a skeleton from a prehistoric cemetary of the former population of Pruszcz Gdanski. Folia Morphol (Warsz). 1970; 29:317–329.

4. Greenspan A. Benign bone-forming lesions: osteoma, osteoid osteoma, and osteoblastoma. Clinical, imaging, pathologic, and differential considerations. Skeletal Radiol. 1993; 22:485–500.

5. Capasso LL. Antiquity of cancer. Int J Cancer. 2005; 113:2–13.

6. Ruffer MA, Willmore JG. Studies in palaeopathology. Note on a tumour of the pelvis dating from Roman time (250 A.D.) and found in Egypt. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1913; 18:480–484.

7. Oakley KP, Tobias PV. The Kanam jaw. Nature. 1960; 185:945–947.

8. Sawyer DR, Wood NK, Allison MJ. An ancient "tumour" from pre-Columbian Chile. J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 1990; 18:136–138.

9. Kim MJ, Oh CS, Lee IS, Lee BH, Choi JH, Lim DS, Yi YS, Han WJ, Kim YS, Bok GD, Lee SD, Shin DH. Human mummified brain from a medieval tomb with lime-soil mixture barrier of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea. Int J Osteoarchaeol. 2008; 18:614–623.

10. Buikstra JE, Ubelaker DH. Standards for data collection from human skeletal remains. Arkansas Archaeological Survey Research Series, No. 44. Fayetteville, AR: Arkansas Archaeological Survey;1994.

11. Lovejoy CO, Meindl RS, Pryzbeck TR, Mensforth RP. Chronological metamorphosis of the auricular surface of the ilium: a new method for the determination of adult skeletal age at death. Am J Phys Anthropol. 1985; 68:15–28.

12. Schuller A. A short review of cranial hyperostoses. Acta radiol. 1950; 34:361–373.

13. Dahlin DC, Johnson EW Jr. Giant osteoid osteoma. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1954; 36:559–572.

14. Jaffe HL. Benign osteoblastoma. Bull Hosp Joint Dis. 1956; 17:141–151.

15. Vyhnánek L, Strouhal E, Nemmečková A. 'Kissing' osteochondroma: a case from Ancient Egypt. Int J Osteoarchaeol. 1999; 9:361–368.