A probable case of infantile cortical hyperostosis in 2nd-4th centuries AD Romania

Objective: This study aims to discuss the differential diagnosis for the pathological alterations displayed on an infant skeleton from Romania.

Materials: One infant skeleton retrieved form the bathhouse of an abandoned Roman fort and dated between the 2nd and the 4th centuries AD.

Methods: All available skeletal elements were analyzed macroscopically. In addition, the isotopic signatures (δ¹³C and δ1⁵N) and the control region of the human mitochondrial genome for this archaeological sample were analyzed.

Results: Based on dental development and long bone length, the skeleton was aged between birth and 2 months of age. Pathological lesions were noted on the mandible and diaphyses of long bones, but spared the metaphyses.

Conclusions: The perinatal age of the individual, along with lesion morphology and location, suggests a diagnosis of infantile cortical hyperostosis.

Limitations: The analysis would benefit from further stable isotope and mitochondrial genome analyses, which was limited due to the absence of comparative human and faunal remains from the site.

Suggestions for further research: Further multidisciplinary research on human archaeological remains from Romania would provide a clearer image of past disease and life histories in this geographic area.