Abstract:
Ancient neoplasms diagnosed in the soft tissues of mummies are limited to 18 cases so far, with only 5 malignant tumors. The apparent paucity of neoplasms in ancient populations is sometimes attributed to shorter life spans and fewer oncogenic substances in the environment. However, this paucity may also be a result of the scarcity of autopsies of mummies, together with technical difficulties in detecting neoplastic lesions in mummified tissues. An exception, and example of the benefits of thorough systematic analysis, is the small sample of 10 Renaissance mummies from Naples (15th-16th centuries), in which 3 cases of cancer were found. In order to increase detection of soft tissue tumors, it is imperative that mummies undergo systematic autopsies and histological examinations performed by skilled paleopathologists. This review of the known ancient soft tissue neoplasms demonstrates the state of histology of malignant and benign soft tissue neoplasms in mummies, and the potential for further study. The limitations of paleopathological diagnosis will be discussed and an argument will be made for the use of autopsies and histological analysis on mummified human remains.
摘要:
迄今为止,在木乃伊软组织中诊断出的古代肿瘤仅限于18例,只有5个恶性肿瘤。古代人群中肿瘤的明显缺乏有时归因于寿命较短和环境中致癌物质较少。然而,这种缺乏也可能是木乃伊尸检稀缺的结果,以及在木乃伊组织中检测肿瘤病变的技术困难。一个例外,和全面系统分析的好处的例子,是那不勒斯(15-16世纪)的10个文艺复兴时期的木乃伊的小样本,其中发现3例癌症。为了增加软组织肿瘤的检测,木乃伊必须接受由熟练的古病理学家进行的系统尸检和组织学检查。对已知的古代软组织肿瘤的回顾证明了木乃伊中恶性和良性软组织肿瘤的组织学状态,以及进一步研究的潜力。将讨论古病理学诊断的局限性,并将对木乃伊遗体进行尸检和组织学分析。