CT-scanning of ancient Greenlandic Inuit temporal bones.
Additional morphological evidence of former infectious middle ear disease (IMED) was found by CT-scanning in 5 of 6 Greenlandic Inuit crania strongly suspected for former IMED due to earlier examination revealing either bilateral hypocellularity or asymmetry of the pneumatized area of the temporal bones. The CT-scans showed sclerosing and obliteration of the air cells and even destruction of the cellular septae, and a high degree of irregularity of the cells. Sclerosing of the surrounding bone tissue was also found. The findings in one cranium were dubious and could both be regarded as a congenital malformation or an infection in infanthood. CT-scan confirms and even adds to the results of conventional X-ray of temporal bones making hypotheses of paleopathology more reliable. The findings also support the environmental theory of pneumatization of the air cell system in the temporal bones.
Homøe
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P
Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lynnerup
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N
Videbaek
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H
D000388:Air; D006116:Greenland / Q000208:ethnology; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D004930:Inuit / Q000266:history*; D008416:Mastoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000266:history* / Q000473:pathology; D010164:Paleopathology; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed