Pronounced hyperostosis frontalis interna and co‐occurring lesions in the skull base suggestive of a pituitary tumor in a woman from medieval Germany

Bibliographic Data

ID12371300
AuthorsFlohr (0000-0001-8205-849X, Department of Biology University of Hildesheim Hildesheim Germany, corresponding author), Carsten Witzel (0000-0002-1663-7618, Department of Biology University of Hildesheim Hildesheim Germany), Uwe Kierdorf (0000-0003-0531-2460, Department of Biology University of Hildesheim Hildesheim Germany)
Year2023
Volume33
Issue6
Pages1095-1100
Publication date2023-10-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/oa.3263
OpenAlexW4387779670
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited30

Hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) is an osseous overgrowth characterized by symmetrical, irregular bone apposition on the internal table of the frontal bone, which preferentially occurs in females. In 1719, Morgagni described the condition as one sign of a triad comprising HFI, hirsutism, and obesity (Morgagni's syndrome). The etiopathogenesis of HFI is largely unresolved, but the condition is frequently associated with metabolic, endocrine, and neuropsychiatric disorders. In archaeological cases, which rely solely on dry bone diagnosis, the cause of HFI generally remains unknown, as is also the case regarding accompanying signs and symptoms. Here, we report a case of pronounced HFI in the skeleton of an old‐adult woman from medieval Hildesheim dating to the 8th to 11th century CE. In addition to HFI, the cranium exhibits resorptive lesions of the sella turcica with dehiscence of the roof of the sphenoid sinus. The co‐occurrence of these lesions suggests an underlying common cause for them. On the basis of differential diagnosis, we consider a functioning pituitary neuroendocrine tumor (PitNET) as the most likely common cause for the two conditions

Biology · Differential diagnosis · Endocrine system · Hormone · Hyperostosis · Pathology · Sella turcica · Sinus (botany · Skull · Craniofacial Disorders and Treatments · Medicine · Ophthalmology and Eye Disorders · Pituitary Gland Disorders and Treatments · Anatomy · Internal Medicine