A case of metastatic carcinoma from Christian Sayala (Egyptian Nubia).

Abstract

The paper deals with a case of a most probable metastatic carcinoma, found in skeletal remains of a 35-45 year old female who lived in Sayala, Egyptian Nubia, during the Christian Period. The macroscopic and radiographic morphology supported by microscopic investigation by M. Schultz (Göttingen) revealed the predominating osteoclastic process in the lesions, combining with the slightly expressed osteoblastic component. Single lesions located in the skull, spine, sacrum, sternum, ribs, clavicle, scapula, radius, metacarpals and hand phalanges, ossa coxae, femur and tibia were described. Of the various differential diagnostic possibilities, the diagnosis was focused on distinction between myeloma multiplex and lytic metastatic carcinoma. The growing evidence of incidence of metastatic carcinoma, its relative frequency compared with that of myeloma multiplex, and the most probable primary source of metastases of our case--the carcinoma of the breast--were discussed.