Skull deformations in craniosynostosis and endocrine disorders Morphological and tomographic analysis of the skull from the crypt of the Silesian Piasts in Brzeg (16th–17th century), Poland

Publication date: October 2014 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology, Volume 65, Issue 5 Author(s): T. Kozłowski , M. Cybulska , B. Błaszczyk , M. Krajewska , C. Jeśman Results of morphological and tomographic (CT) studies of the skull that was found in the crypt of the Silesian Piasts in the St. Jadwiga church in Brzeg (Silesia, Poland) are presented and discussed here. The established date of burial of probably a 20–30 years old male was 16th–17th century. The analyzed skull showed premature obliteration of the major skull sutures. It resulted in the braincase deformation, similar to the forms found in oxycephaly and microcephaly. Tomographic analysis revealed gross pathology. Signs of increased intracranial pressure, basilar invagination and hypoplasia of the occipital bone were observed. Those results suggested the occurrence of the very rare Arnold-Chiari syndrome. Lesions found in the sella turcica indicated the development of pituitary macroadenoma, which resulted in the occurrence of discreet features of acromegaly in the facial bones. The studied skull was characterized by a significantly smaller size of the neurocranium (horizontal circumference 471mm, cranial capacity ∼1080ml) and strongly expressed brachycephaly (cranial index=86.3), while its height remained within the range for non-deformed skulls. A narrow face, high eye-sockets and prognathism were also observed. Signs of alveolar process hypertrophy with rotation and displacemen...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: research