A rare case of pancraniosynostosis observed in a historical skull from the 19 th century cranial collection named “Królestwo Polskie” (“Polish Kingdom”)

Agata Cieślik; Wioletta Nowaczewska; Anna Kołtowska; Maciej Henneberg

doi:10.2478/anre-2021-0003

Authors

Agata Cieślik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Anthropology, Wrocław, Podwale 75, 50-449
Wioletta Nowaczewska Department of Human Biology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
Anna Kołtowska Department of General Radiology, Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
Maciej Henneberg Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Research Unit, University of Adelaide, School of Medicine, Adelaide, Australia; The Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2478/anre-2021-0003

Keywords:

pancraniosynostosis, microcephaly, platybasia, paleopathology

Abstract

Rare diseases are a challenge in paleopathological research, mainly due to the ambiguity of skeletal signs, bad preservation state of the material, and lack of the reference material. The aim of our article is to present the skull characterized by the decreased values of the metrical traits and numerous pathological features of the cranial morphology and make an attempt to determine the possible cause of the observed anomalies. The subject of our study is a cranium No KP 131 belonging to Polish skeletal collection named „Polish Kingdom”. We used both standard anthropometric methods, as well as the imaging techniques to detect the probable causes of the observed pathological changes. This specimen presents a complex of pathologies. Decreased values of the metrical features, thinning of the lateral walls of the neurocranium and the presence of platybasia were probably caused by premature closure of all main cranial sutures. Pathologies observed in cranium No 131 XIX might have had a common cause in some form of syndromic disorders.

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