Original paper
Fibro-osseous processes (FOPs) of the craniofacial skeleton: A neglected entity in paleopathology?
Gresky, Julia
HOMO Volume 71 No 4 (2020), p. 281 - 297
published: Nov 30, 2020
published online: Nov 4, 2020
manuscript accepted: Aug 17, 2020
manuscript revision received: Aug 17, 2020
manuscript revision requested: Jun 26, 2020
manuscript received: Apr 2, 2020
Open Access (paper may be downloaded free of charge)
Abstract
Discrete, small, roundish lesions of localized porous bone can be occasionally seen in the craniofacial skeleton. Such lesions are rarely mentioned and only occur as an incidental discovery being assigned to plenty of diagnoses. As an example, such multiple small lesions of the facial skeleton in a well-preserved skeleton of a 40–60 year old male of the Hunno-Sarmatian Period from Kazakhstan, are discussed. Some of the lesions were examined by digital microscopy, plain radiography, and plain and polarizing microscopy. Considering possible differential diagnoses of vascular, traumatic, inflammatory/reactive, metabolic, and neoplastic entities, as well as developmental conditions, its microscopic characteristics point to a fibro-osseous process. This paper intends to open a discussion on the diagnosis of such lesions, which have been relatively neglected in previous research.
Keywords
fibro-osseous lesion • craniofacial dysplastic bone lesion • woven bone • multiple lines of diagnostic evidence