The challenging diagnosis of cranial congenital anomalies in a newborn from an Italian 20th century documented skeletal collection

Abstract

Microcephaly and encephalocele are congenital conditions that are rarely observed in perinatal skeletal remains. This case report investigates the craniofacial features of an individual of 38 gestational weeks from the Collezione Antropologica LABANOF (CAL) skeletal collection for which the death certificate indicates microcephaly and encephalocele as the cause of death. Loss of normal morphology of the sphenoid, temporal, and maxillary bones was noted and described. The state of preservation of the skeleton hindered direct observation of the anomalies related to microcephaly, but features that can be ascribed to an encephalocele were found. However, the lesions observed could not be reliably related to the conditions reported in the death certificate, so an additional interpretation of the observed pathological signs was suggested, even though the bone changes are not specific enough to draw a definite diagnosis. Although the skeleton was not fully recovered, the remaining osseous elements provide relevant insights to the appearance of cranial anomalies in perinatal individuals. Moreover, these findings are helpful to bioarcheologists because of the dearth of reports that describe the skeletal changes that accompany these pathological conditions.

Microcephaly as observed in the late 19th century cemetery of the Meerenberg psychiatric hospital: Diagnostic issues and the value of population‐specific data

“…Population‐, age‐, and sex‐matched cranial measurements are often not available for comparison, which severely hampers the accurate diagnosis of microcephaly in archaeological remains. Given the rarity of the condition and the limitations associated with its diagnosis, microcephaly is only sporadically described in paleopathological literature, and if so, in the form of case reports describing mainly severe cases (Martin et al, 2006; Palamenghi et al, 2021; Richards, 1985).…”

Embryological Prerequisites for Human Cranial Developmental Deffects

“…Краніолакуни, ймовірно, утворюють частини тім'яних кісток. Подібні краніотабеси (розм'якшення або витончення черепа у немовлят і дітей) частіше виникають у новонароджених [42,46].…”

New Prospects for Investigating Early Life-Course Experiences and Health in Archaeological Fetal, Perinatal and Infant Individuals

“…; weaning and dietary studies (e.g Fuller et al 2006;Nitsch, Humphrey, and Hedges 2011;Kendall, Millard, and Beaumont 2021)Wheeler et al 2013;Lewis 2017;Morrone et al 2021;Palamenghi et al 2021)Cannon and Cook 2015;Murphy and Le Roy 2017;Ellis 2019;Helfrecht et al 2020)…”