A mandibular bone defect of uncertain significance: report of a paleopathological case.

Anatomical variations of the mandibular canal as well as the presence of accessory canals and foramina are common findings in the human mandible. Here, we present a previously unreported type of anatomical variation, consisting of a large full-thickness bone defect of the right mandibular ramus, observed in a young male unearthed from a mediaeval cemetery located in North-Eastern Italy. The defect was located very close to, yet not directly connected with, the mandibular canal. Awareness of the existence of deviations from the anatomical norm such as that we describe here is strategic to avoid diagnostic misinterpretations, minimise technical hitches, and prevent clinical complications during invasive procedures in the region of the mandible.

Comparison of cranial fluctuating asymmetry between normal and pathological specimens from a modern Thai skeletal group.

The purpose of this study was to compare fluctuating asymmetry (FA) levels across cranial modules of normal and pathological cranial specimens. It was examined whether pathological specimens have significantly higher FA scores than normal specimens in cranial regions affected by a developmental disorder. For this study, a modern Thai skeletal sample from Chulalongkorn University was analyzed. Ninety-two cranial landmarks were digitized on 66 adult and eight sub-adult normal specimens and on five pathological specimens including two adults with abnormal palates, two sub-adults with craniosynostosis, and one sub-adult with natal absence of nasal bones. In sub-adults, FA scores of specimens with developmental disorders were significantly higher than normal specimens in the entire cranium (p = 0.041) and vault (p = 0.025). However, comparisons excluding specimen with coronal craniosynostosis were not statistically significant. In adult specimens, comparisons of FA scores in each separate cranial module were also not statistically significant. These results suggest that elevated cranial FA may not be confined to the specific cranial region with the developmental disorder.