Tumor-like Lesions in a Human Skeleton from the Himrin Basin of Iraq

Abstract

This paper describes a human skeletal remain from the Himrin basin of Iraq affected by tumor-like lesions localized in the skull, mandible, scapulae, humeri, ribs, sternum, vertebrae including sacrum, hip bones, and femora. After anthropological, anatomical, and roentgenological observations and comparison with various diseases resulting in osteolytic destructive lesion with characteristic features, the authors conclude that a slow-growing benign tumor involved the skeleton because of the age at death, the multifocal osteolytic lesions in a number of the bones and their distribution, the appearances and size of the lesions, and the slight sclerotic reaction. Not only this paper is the first paleopathological description on the disease on Iraq, but also the case is rare and valuable to the paleopathological field.