The presence of a thyroid foramen in the thyroid cartilage of the larynx is not uncommon. It may be occluded by a fibrous layer, or it may be an abnormal path for the neurovascular bundle of the larynx. The superior laryngeal nerve and the superior laryngeal vessels are the most common contents of the thyroid foramen. During the observation of the skeleton of a 32-year-old female, we found a completely ossified laryngeal framework with bilateral double thyroid foramina. Three of the foramina were circular, and one was oval in shape. This is a very rare anatomical variation. Deep knowledge of the thyroid cartilage anatomy is mandatory during laryngeal and thyroid surgery. The meticulous dissection of laryngeal vessels and nerves is of paramount importance to control bleeding and avoid postoperative neurological sequelae due to nerve injury. The surgeon should be aware that in the whole length of the oblique line of the thyroid cartilage, a thyroid foramen may be detected.

OBJECTIVE: Septic arthritis is not commonly reported in paleopathology. This study aims to provide a differential diagnosis of septic arthritis by looking at a case from ancient China. We also aim to add to the current literature on septic arthritis in paleopathology.
METHODS: One adult male skeleton recovered from the Dapuzi Cemetery, Shaanxi, dating to the Western Han Dynasty (3rd century BCE-1st century CE).
METHODS: Macroscopic observations were conducted.
RESULTS: The lytic appearance and massive new bone formation on the left acetabulum of M142 are compatible with septic arthritis. The hip pathology greatly influenced his stature. The two femur shafts present different degrees of robusticity. He also showed severe osteoarthritis.
CONCLUSIONS: The individual suffered from septic arthritis of the hip, of unknown cause, for a long period, which greatly influenced his daily life. Complications included osteoarthritis, shortened stature, and difficulties in walking.
CONCLUSIONS: This study offers a new case of septic arthritis and provides insight into the people who guarded the royal tombs in the West Han Dynasty.
CONCLUSIONS: The skeleton is not well-preserved, limiting observations of bony changes to other areas of the body.

Epignathus is an extremely rare teratoma found in the oral cavity or oropharyngeal region of newborns, whose pathogenesis is poorly understood. We describe a giant epignathus arising from the oropharynx in a newborn. The giant tumor completely obstructed the airway of the newborn resulting in death. Histological and radiological examination of the tumor reveals the presence of a remarkably well-developed skeleton of the head and neck. A row of teeth, the axis and atlas, thyroid and salivary glands, trachea, and cerebral tissue are all detected within the tumor. These findings suggest that the epignathus is fetus-in-fetu which is considered a type 0 germ cell tumor in accordance with current literature.

Platypsyllus castoris is closely associated with beavers and displays a unique set of structural specializations. We document the morphology of adults with modern techniques, and interpret evolutionary changes linked with the specific life style. The small subfamily Platypsyllinae has evolved an entire suite of features correlated with a more or less close association with mammals, for instance a flattened body, a dorsal cephalic shield, flightlessness, eye reduction, and depigmentation. Within this small group, Platypsyllus displays numerous autapomorphic features, correlated with a close association with the beaver. Essential is a combination of mechanical stabilization and firm anchorage on the host, and efficient forward movement in the fur. Exo- and endoskeletal structures of the head and thorax are reinforced by vertical cuticular columns and by an array of internal ridges. The antennae are shortened and strongly modified, the mandibles distinctly reduced and flattened, unsuitable for cutting, scraping or grinding. The musculature of the mouthparts is simplified, whereas an enhanced set of prepharyngeal and pharyngeal dilators forms an efficient sucking pump. The prothoracic musculature is strongly developed. In contrast, the pterothoracic muscle system is distinctly simplified, even though leg muscles are strongly developed. Using the legs, the flattened beetles move sideways through the dense fur of the beaver, using posteriorly directed groups of setae and ctenidia to prevent being pushed backwards by the densely arranged hairs. In contrast to the anterior body, the cuticle of the abdomen is thin, and the entire tagma flexible, with thin layers of segmental muscles. The hind gut is not connected with the mid gut. The beetles probably consume liquid, possibly with emulgated minute skin debris. As the morphology of the mouthparts excludes damage to the skin of the host, the association should not be addressed as ectoparasitic but as commensalism.

The grave situated in the central part of the reformed church in Silická Brezová in Slovakia contained the human skeletal remains of one individual. The aim of this study was to confirm the presence of ankylosing spondylitis on these skeletal remains. Determine the sex, age at death, stature, and ancestry of the individual by anthropological methods, and also record and identify other pathological manifestations of diseases. A macroscopic examination has been carried out, with the analysis of the palaeopathological conditions of the remains, and subsequently an X-ray and CT completed analysis. The skeleton belonged to a male of European origin, aged between 45 and 60 years at the time of death. Stature calculated from the maximal length of his femur was 163.12 ± 3.48 cm. Pathological features were identified on the many bones. Ankylosis affected almost the whole spinal cord, including the sacroiliac joints. The skeleton also presented the manifestation of many entheseal changes. Presence of the ankylosing spondylitis was confirmed by a combination of standard anthropological methods and modern diagnostic methods (X-ray and CT analysis). It is a specific disease with a prevalence between 0.1 and 1% worldwide. There is a potential for further genetic research to determine the degree of genetic relatedness with an individual living in this village who has been diagnosed with the same disease.

The sedimentary history of two stromatoporoid accumulations ‒ an allobiostrome and a parabiostrome-are studied in the shallow water carbonates of the Middle to Upper Devonian Kowala Formation in the Ołowianka Quarry, Holy Cross Mountains, central Poland. Sedimentological and facies observations are accompanied by morphometrical and taphonomical analyses of redeposited stromatoporoid skeletons. Stromatoporoid features, including shape profile, latilaminae arrangement, surface character, dimensions, and preservation state, are interpreted in terms of their original growth habitats and susceptibility to exhumation and transport. Sedimentary features of the studied beds are interpreted with regards to the high-energy processes that lead to their deposition. In the allobiostrome, the original stromatoporoid habitat was located below storm wave base, in a calm setting characterised by a low and stable depositional rate and clear bottom waters. The large scale onshore redeposition of stromatoporoid skeletons from such a setting was only possible due to an extraordinary event causing erosion at considerable depths: a tsunami is the most probable explanation. The sedimentary and textural features of the allobiostromal accumulation, such as clast supported textures and lack of vertical sorting, point to a single act of deposition and high flow velocities, in agreement with the tsunami interpretation. In contrast, the parabiostromal stromatoporoid accumulation does not exhibit any features that would require a non-tempestitic explanation, the default and most probable interpretation of high energy facies interbedding shallow water lagoonal sediments. This comparison has shown that studies of variously developed stromatoporoid beds, and particularly the analysis of morphometric features of stromatoporoid skeletons, can provide a unique opportunity to identify palaeotsunamites, which commonly remain undetected in the sedimentary record, leading to underestimates of their abundance.

BACKGROUND: Sternal tumors are difficult to diagnose, and usually need to be differentiated from other diseases such as tuberculosis, osteosarcoma, intrathoracic thyroid and thymoma. The sternum is a rare site of Hodgkin\'s lymphoma, which is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis on routine histopathology.
METHODS: We reported a 47-year-old female patient with chest pain in the upper sternum for 1 mo. Chest computed tomography found a mass in the upper sternum. Pathology and immunohistochemistry of the biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of typical Hodgkin\'s lymphoma (mixed cellularity subtype). Patient was diagnosed with primary sternal Hodgkin\'s lymphoma and administered 6 cycles of adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine chemotherapy. Patient had no tumor recurrence and progression at a follow-up visit 2 years later.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the rarity of primary sternal Hodgkin\'s lymphoma and the challenges of its diagnosis. A PubMed and Web of Science search revealed 10 reported cases of sternal involvement in Hodgkin\'s lymphoma.

Powered robotic exoskeletons are a promising solution to enable standing and walking in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). Although training and walking with an exoskeleton in motor complete SCI patients is considered safe, the risks of unexpected (technical) adverse events and the risk of fractures are not fully understood. This article reports the occurrence of two different cases of bone fracture during exoskeleton usage. Furthermore, advice is given for extra safety training and instructions.
The first case concerns a 47-year-old woman with T12 AIS A SCI. Her exoskeleton shut down unexpectedly probably causing a misalignment of the joints of her lower extremities relative to the joints of the exoskeleton, which resulted in a fracture of her left tibia. The second case involves a 39-year-old man with L1 AIS B SCI. An unexpected fracture of the right distal tibia occurred without a specific prior (traumatic) incident.
Exoskeleton training instructors, SCI patients and their buddies should be instructed how to handle emergency situations. Furthermore, they should be aware of the risk of stress fractures of the lower extremities. Proper alignment of the exoskeleton relative to the body is of utmost importance to reduce fracture risk. In the case of swelling and discoloring of the skin, radiographic examination should be performed in order to exclude any fracture.

We assessed whether Petrus Donders (died 1887), a Dutch priest who for 27 years cared for people with leprosy in the leprosarium Batavia, Suriname, had evidence of Mycobacterium (M.) leprae infection. A positive finding of M. leprae ancient (a)DNA would contribute to the origin of leprosy in Suriname.
Skeletal remains of Father Petrus Donders; two additional skeletons excavated from the Batavia cemetery were used as controls.
Archival research, paleopathological evaluation and aDNA-based testing of skeletal remains.
Neither archives nor inspection of Donders skeletal remains revealed evidence of leprosy, and aDNA-based testing for M. leprae was negative. We detected M. leprae aDNA by RLEP PCR in one control skeleton, which also displayed pathological lesions compatible with leprosy. The M. leprae aDNA was genotyped by Sanger sequencing as SNP type 4; the skeleton displayed mitochondrial haplogroup L3.
We found no evidence that Donders contracted leprosy despite years of intense leprosy contact, but we successfully isolated an archaeological M. leprae aDNA sample from a control skeleton from South America.
We successfully genotyped recovered aDNA to a M. leprae strain that likely originated in West Africa. The detected human mitochondrial haplogroup L3 is also associated with this geographical region. This suggests that slave trade contributed to leprosy in Suriname.
A limited number of skeletons was examined.
Broader review of skeletal collections is advised to expand on diversity of the M. leprae aDNA database.

This study aims to discuss the differential diagnosis for the pathological alterations displayed on an infant skeleton from Romania.
One infant skeleton retrieved form the bathhouse of an abandoned Roman fort and dated between the 2nd and the 4th centuries AD.
All available skeletal elements were analyzed macroscopically. In addition, the isotopic signatures (δ13C and δ15N) and the control region of the human mitochondrial genome for this archaeological sample were analyzed.
Based on dental development and long bone length, the skeleton was aged between birth and 2 months of age. Pathological lesions were noted on the mandible and diaphyses of long bones, but spared the metaphyses.
The perinatal age of the individual, along with lesion morphology and location, suggests a diagnosis of infantile cortical hyperostosis.
The analysis would benefit from further stable isotope and mitochondrial genome analyses, which was limited due to the absence of comparative human and faunal remains from the site.
Further multidisciplinary research on human archaeological remains from Romania would provide a clearer image of past disease and life histories in this geographic area.