On Treponemal Disease in the Western Pacific: Corrections and Critique

Heathcote, Gary M.; Stodder, Ann L. W.; Buckley, Hallie R.; Hanson, Douglas B.; Douglas, Michele Toomay; Underwood, J. H.; Taisipic, Thomas F.; Diego, Vincent P.

doi:10.1086/204745

Cited by 23 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Pathognomic of treponematosis in skeletal remains are gummatous lesions (Aufderheide and Rodriguez-Martin 1998;Heathcote et al 1998). These arise as an inflammatory response to infection with Treponema sp.…”

Section: Differential Diagnosis and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent attempt to distinguish between the forms of treponematosis skeletally (Rothschild and Rothschild 1995) is based on population frequencies of lesion types and is not applicable here. In any case, this methodology has been rigorously challenged (Heathcote et al 1998). Allocation of the lesions to one of the three variants of treponematosis that affect bone (yaws, treponarid or venereal syphilis) may be possible by considering evidence of the cultural and physical environment at the time the individual was alive (Waldron 2001). Yaws and treponarid have reasonably distinct geographical distributions: yaws in the humid tropics and treponarid in more arid areas to the north and south of the yaws regions (Froment 1994 cited in Roberts and Manchester 1995:152).…”

Section: Differential Diagnosis and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Late Holocene human remains from northwest Queensland, Australia: archaeology and palaeopathology

Domett

Wallis²,

Kynuna³

et al. 2006

Archaeology in Oceania

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A human burial of late Holocene age was recently excavated from inland northwest Queensland and studied prior to reburial by the Indigenous community. Bones from the lower thoracic region to the feet were recovered. The person had been interred in a crouched position, resting on their lower legs (shins) and wrapped in paperbark. Similar burial techniques have been described in the region's ethnographic literature, and this site represents the first known archaeological example. Ascertaining a firm date for the burial is problematic owing to the nature of the radiocarbon calibration curve in recent centuries. A detailed analysis of the bones indicated the individual to be an adult female, most likely of middle age. There are some significant pathological lesions present that are indicative of treponematosis. The geographic and cultural context of the burial leads us to suggest the most likely diagnosis is treponarid.

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Section: Differential Diagnosis and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Differential Diagnosis and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Holocene human remains from northwest Queensland, Australia: archaeology and palaeopathology

Domett

Wallis²,

Kynuna³

et al. 2006

Archaeology in Oceania

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show abstract

“…All other limb bones may be involved: in order of frequency, these are the femur, ulna, humerus, radius, spine, clavicle, hand, foot, skull, ribs, and pelvis (Ortner and Putschar, 1985). Although the periostitis of yaws is characteristically exuberant and diffuse, periosteal new bone formation alone is not pathognomonic of yaws (Heathcote, 1998). A frequent finding of yaws is the diffuse apposition of new bone on the anterior tibia and anterior bowing of the diaphysis (Hackett, 1936a).…”

Section: Yawsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subadult health and disease in prehistoric Tonga, Polynesia

Buckley

2000

Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.

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This article focuses on the differential diagnosis of pathologic lesions recorded on the limbs and crania of 17 subadults from two pre-European burial mounds in Tonga, western Polynesia. All affected subadults were between the ages of 6 months and 3 years at death. The lesions described consist primarily of subperiosteal new bone deposition on the limbs and endocranial surface. However, the presence of cribra orbitalia in a number of individuals indicates concurrent iron-deficiency anaemia. A differential diagnosis of haematogenous osteomyelitis, congenital syphilis, yaws, scurvy, hypervitaminosis A, trauma, Caffey's disease, and iron-deficiency anaemia is discussed. It was concluded that the most likely cause for the lesions observed is a synergistic relation between infection (weanling diarrhoea, yaws) and metabolic disease (scurvy and possibly hypervitaminosis A). Trauma is not ruled out as contributing to the development of some pathologic lesions. It is concluded that, in the Pacific Islands at least, multiple causes for skeletal pathology in subadults should be considered rather than a single aetiology.

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“…The challenge of illustration lies in what the artist wished to emphasize and their personal preferences or agenda (Cunningham, 2000, p. 13;McVaugh, 2006). Even modern reports suffer from bias in choice of articles included or excluded related to pet theories and inconvenient evidence (Bouwman and Brown, 2005;Grauer, 2012;Harper et al, 2014;Heathcote et al, 1998;Powell and Collins, 2005;Roberts et al, 2012;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Odyssey in the evolution of a paleopathologist

Rothschild

2016

Foss. Rec.

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Abstract. A recent report suggesting perceived limitations of and opportunities in the study of paleopathology suggested the importance of incorporation of scientific methodologies. It seems reasonable to also explore how those methodologies are developed and, indeed, how one approaches paleopathology as a science. The development of one such paleopathologist is delineated from his serendipitous observations to application of hypothesis generation and subsequent testing approach developed during basic medical science education. This approach resulted in recognition of how much he thought he knew was actually contrary to the facts. A critical factor was the collaborative approach with specialists in other fields, wherein linguistic confusion was overcome and perspectives refined by point-counterpoint analysis of hypotheses. The limited reliability of tertiary information was clearly exposed through examination of primary sources -original articles rather than what might be referred to as "meta-analyses".It became clear that linguistics was not the only challenge; application of techniques had to be observed and validated. Without validation one might obtain precision (method repeatedly reveals same results) but at the expense of accuracy (assurance that the method actually assesses the question). Paleontological studies are generally limited to examination of organisms and their traces. Archeologically based studies incorporate additional sources of information (e.g., historic), but are no less subject to such semantic and methodological issues. Proof of concept studies provided new windows to recognition not only of disease but to previous anatomical challenges (e.g., localization of direct muscle attachment sites and distribution). Trans-phylogenetic representation of disease falsified speculation that "evolution" would preclude analysis through time. Pathology is an intrinsic component of life and transcends both species and time. Knowledge gained in a given species and time can be applied to similar disease manifestations in other species in modern time. Once speculations were tested and either verified or falsified, paleoepidemiologic approach allowed identification of patterns of spread and even application of that knowledge to recognition of human migration patterns. Proof of concept studies provided new windows to recognition not only of disease but to previous anatomical challenges (e.g., localization of direct muscle attachment sites and distribution).

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On Treponemal Disease in the Western Pacific: Corrections and Critique

Cited by 23 publications

References 33 publications

Late Holocene human remains from northwest Queensland, Australia: archaeology and palaeopathology

Late Holocene human remains from northwest Queensland, Australia: archaeology and palaeopathology

Subadult health and disease in prehistoric Tonga, Polynesia

Odyssey in the evolution of a paleopathologist

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