Elongated styloid process of an autopsied skull from the Cemetery of Santa Maria Maggiore in Vercelli, 18(th)-19(th) century (Piedmont, northern Italy). in Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur / Anthropol Anz. 2023 Oct 18. doi: 10.1127/anthranz/2023/1671.

2023
ASL Vercelli
ASL VCO

Tipo pubblicazione

Journal Article

Autori/Collaboratori (7)Vedi tutti...

Ciliberti R
Department of Health Sciences, University of Genova, Italy.
Garanzini F
Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Biella, Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola e Vercelli, Italy.
Destefanis E
Department of Humanities, University of Eastern Piedmont, Italy.

et alii...

Abstract

We discuss the coexistence of a postmortem cut and a pathological alteration, recorded on a skeleton belonging to an adult man that was discovered during the archaeological investigations of the cemetery of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Vercelli (northern Italy, 18(th)-19(th) century). The skull presents an oblique cleft, which from the top of the frontal bone bends towards the occipital, and the left styloid process is elongated compared to normal values (48 mm). The elongated styloid process is due to the ossification of the styloid ligament which has several possible causes. To increase the knowledge about this pathological condition in the past, it was necessary to compare all the data present in the literature today and consider the few cases published in the paleopathological field. In this paper, our main goals are: i) to investigate the reasons for which the craniotomy was performed; ii) to examine the possible cause of the ossification of the styloid process, described as Eagle's syndrome; iii) to enrich the archaeological literature of elongated styloid process cases and iv) to investigate the presence of a hypothetical relationship between the autopsy cut and the diagnosed Eagle's syndrome on this skull.

Accesso banca dati bibliografica

PMID : 37869940

DOI : 10.1127/anthranz/2023/1671