The bare bones appearance of hyperparathyroidism: Distinguishing subperiosteal bone resorption from periosteal reaction

ConclusionsGiven its limitation to individuals with known hyperparathyroidism, the presence of subperiosteal resorption appears diagnostic. The four percent prevalence of subperiosteal reaction in the Hamman-Todd cohort with hyperparathyroidism is indistinguishable from that reported in clinical samples. Subperiosteal resorption appears be a phenomenon in the archeological record that is pathognomonic for the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism. Such biologically remodeled bone is easily distinguished from post-mortem damage and its position subjacent to the periosteum facilitates distinguishing it from periosteal reaction. While the presence of subperiosteal bone resorption appears to have great specificity, its sensitivity is low as it was found only in 19% of individuals examined in this study.
Source: International Journal of Osteoarchaeology - Category: Science Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research