Differential diagnosis of an osseous cranial tumor from Hellenistic Muğla, Turkey

Objective: This project evaluates a cranial lesion from a Hellenistic-era individual excavated by the Muğla Archaeological Museum in Gülağzı, Turkey.

Materials: An osseous tumor measuring 3.02 × 3.54 × 2.98 cm originating from the occipital bone of a probable young adult male.

Methods: The tumor was examined using gross morphological inspection, plain radiography (x-ray), and computed tomography (CT) imaging to identify potential differential diagnoses for the osseous cranial tumor.

Results: The lesion in question displays features highly consistent with both osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma. The tumor had a non-sclerotic, sharply demarcated border, a radiolucent nidus measuring less than 2 centimeters in diameter, and homogeneous sclerotic bone surrounding the nidus.

Conclusions: Differential diagnosis determined the osseous tumor to be a benign neoplasm, and in this case the features of the tumor are highly consistent with a diagnosis of either osteoblastoma or osteoid osteoma.

Significance: The identification of novel neoplastic cases in paleopathology represents an important contribution to ongoing discussions regarding the temporality and regional variability of neoplastic conditions in the past. Additionally, a rigorous diagnostic study augmented by x-ray, CT scans, and 3D modeling provides data that can be utilized in future paleopathological studies.

Limitations: Diagnostic interpretation would be aided by histological examination of the tumor, which was impossible in this case. Histological examination would provide a definitive diagnosis.

Suggestions for further research: Given the high incidence of benign tumors in the clinical literature but a paucity of reports in the paleopathological record, further research is indicated to better understand the implications of benign neoplasms in antiquity.