A paleoepidemiological approach to the challenging differential diagnosis of an isolated 1500-year-old anomalous molar from Panamá.
Int J Paleopathol
; 39: 1-13, 2022 12.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36029689
OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to quantify the presence and prevalence of specific genetic and infectious diseases in the pre-Colombian Panamanian population and uses these data to consider the plausibility of these diseases as causative factors in the development of an abnormal supernumerary cusp morphology in a 1500-year-old isolated molar recovered from Cerro Juan Díaz (Los Santos, Panama). MATERIALS: 267 individuals from pre-Columbian sites throughout Panama. METHODS: The anomalous tooth was analyzed through macroscopic, odontometric, and radiographic means. Tentative differential diagnosis was performed using inferences from paleopathological features of the broader regional population. RESULTS: The regional sample showed evidence of treponemal infection and developmental anomalies in 10.1% and 10.9% of individuals, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: While not able to rule out three potential genetic conditions, more evidence was found to support the differential diagnosis of congenital syphilis as the causative agent leading to the development of abnormal supernumerary cusps in the isolated molar. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates how characterizing disease experience in the population can assist in differential diagnoses at the individual level and cautions against the assumption that any one lesion in isolation is unique to only one specific pathological condition. LIMITATIONS: The timing discrepancy between clinical descriptions of congenital syphilis and genetic disorders, lack of knowledge on pathophysiological mechanisms of the former, poor preservation of Treponema pathogen ancient DNA, and deficiencies in modern public health data from Panama limit the differential diagnosis. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Inclusion and serious contemplation of genetic diseases in paleopathological differential diagnoses is necessary.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Sífilis Congênita
/
Anormalidades Dentárias
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
America central
/
Panama
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Paleopathol
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de publicação:
Holanda