Syrinx in Spinal Cord in Mummified Individual from West Thebes (Egypt).
World Neurosurg 2018;
118:230-234. [PMID:
30048794 DOI:
10.1016/j.wneu.2018.07.110]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We analyzed a total of 36 partial or complete mummies containing neural structures from Sharuna and Qarara (Middle Egypt) and Dra Abu-el Naga, West Thebes (Upper Egypt). Individual TT16 13.3-B06-Ind07 corresponded to a partial mummy from T2 to T11. At distal levels, it showed a structure compatible with the lower spinal cord (SC). Under magnification, the structure presented an absence of meningeal remains and a butterfly-like substructure resembling the anterior and posterior horns of the gray matter of the SC. Meanwhile, the central canal of the spinal cord (syrinx) was considerably enlarged. Field radiograph confirmed a structure compatible with the SC with a syrinx that shows a maximum diameter of 3.2 mm measured by digital caliper. Bearing in mind the normal shrinking mechanism at work in mummification, a pathologic condition such as syringomyelia during the individual's life is a distinct possibility. After a thorough review of the literature, this would be the earliest report of syringomyelia.
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