A unique case of naturally occurring mummification of human brain tissue.
When skulls and bones were exhumed from a mass grave in Bulgaria and subjected to medicolegal examination they were found to originate from 39 humans aged 36-60 years old who had been buried approximately 45-50 years ago. Solid structures which strongly resembled shrunken human brain tissue were found inside 2 intact skulls. Among other bones 5 similar structures were found one of which was an almost entirely preserved human brain, and the others were fragments from different regions of the human brain. Samples of these structures were immersed in 15% aqueous glycerol solution to soften and were examined by light and electron microscopy. Samples of this material and of fresh human brain were subjected to elementary atomic spectral analysis. These complex studies indicated the samples to be naturally mummified human brain tissue and that this process had occurred due to specific conditions within the cranial cavities after burial.
Radanov
S
S
Department of Forensic Medicine and Deontology, Medical Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Stoev
S
S
Davidov
M
M
Nachev
S
S
Stanchev
N
N
Kirova
E
E
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002031:Bulgaria; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008834:Microclimate; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D009106:Mummies / Q000473:pathology*; D009454:Neurofibrils / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure