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Possible neurogenic disorder in a female buried in the monastic cemetery at Ghazali (ca. 670–1270 CE), northern Sudan
Author(s) -
Ciesielska Joanna A.,
Stark Robert J.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of osteoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1099-1212
pISSN - 1047-482X
DOI - 10.1002/oa.2828
Subject(s) - etiology , atrophy , poliomyelitis , cerebral palsy , differential diagnosis , medicine , archaeology , anatomy , history , pathology , physical medicine and rehabilitation
Abstract During the archaeological excavations of a Christian monastic cemetery in northern Sudan, a double‐vaulted tomb was discovered housing the remains of three individuals, among them a 50+‐year‐old female. The skeletal remains of this individual displayed significant asymmetry of the lower limbs, with apparent muscle atrophy and shortening of the left extremity, in combination with other symptoms suggestive of a neurogenic background of the condition. This paper presents a differential assessment, considering various possible etiologies of the observed lesions, including poliomyelitis, cerebral palsy, and Rasmussen's encephalitis. The morphology and patterning of the observed lesions suggest the first known occurrence of poliomyelitis from medieval Sudanese contexts.