Changing food choices: the option for high-protein foods and the move away from the Mediterranean diet.

PURPOSE:  The growing importance placed on health and physical well-being by consumers continues to influence food industry choices. The food market therefore, pandering to the desires for a lean and athletic body, offers new products deemed more healthy and able to impact body image. It is evidenced, thus, a change in food choices and habits, with more attention to the quality and nutrient content of the products consumed, in which protein is assuming increasing importance. The purpose of the study is to highlight important changes in eating habits and in particular the increase in the consumption of high-protein foods, attributable to the focus on physical fitness and thinness, resulting in a decreasing adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the progressive loss of its positive impact on health. METHODS AND RESULTS: This analysis is based on CIRCANA srl data on food consumption trends (change percentage of quantity and value sales) in recent years. Specifically, between January and September 2022 vs. 2021, there was a 21.6% increase in the sale of high-protein products, significantly higher than all the previous ones. CONCLUSIONS: The past few years have seen the gradual discovery of new products, at first little-known and niche, which are becoming major players on the national food consumption scene. The trend is toward a growing preference for high-protein foods and diets with the gradual abandonment of the Mediterranean and an increased risk of nutritional deficiencies, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, evidence obtained from multiple time series with or without the intervention.

Active reconfiguration of cytoplasmic lipid droplets governs migration of nutrient-limited phytoplankton.

Nutrient availability, along with light and temperature, drives marine primary production. The ability to migrate vertically, a critical trait of motile phytoplankton, allows species to optimize nutrient uptake, storage, and growth. However, this traditional view discounts the possibility that migration in nutrient-limited waters may be actively modulated by the emergence of energy-storing organelles. Here, we report that bloom-forming raphidophytes harness energy-storing cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) to biomechanically regulate vertical migration in nutrient-limited settings. LDs grow and translocate directionally within the cytoplasm, steering strain-specific shifts in the speed, trajectory, and stability of swimming cells. Nutrient reincorporation restores their swimming traits, mediated by an active reconfiguration of LD size and coordinates. A mathematical model of cell mechanics establishes the mechanistic coupling between intracellular changes and emergent migratory behavior. Amenable to the associated photophysiology, LD-governed behavioral shift highlights an exquisite microbial strategy toward niche expansion and resource optimization in nutrient-limited oceans.

Bacterial, Phytoplankton, and Viral Distributions and Their Biogeochemical Contexts in Meromictic Lake Cadagno Offer Insights into the Proterozoic Ocean Microbial Loop.

Lake Cadagno, a permanently stratified high-alpine lake with a persistent microbial bloom in its chemocline, has long been considered a model for the low-oxygen, high-sulfide Proterozoic ocean. Although the lake has been studied for over 25 years, the absence of concerted study of the bacteria, phytoplankton, and viruses, together with primary and secondary production, has hindered a comprehensive understanding of its microbial food web. Here, the identities, abundances, and productivity of microbes were evaluated in the context of Lake Cadagno biogeochemistry. Photosynthetic pigments together with 16S rRNA gene phylogenies suggest the prominence of eukaryotic phytoplankton chloroplasts, primarily chlorophytes. Chloroplasts closely related to those of high-alpine-adapted Ankyra judayi persisted with oxygen in the mixolimnion, where photosynthetic efficiency was high, while chloroplasts of Closteriopsis-related chlorophytes peaked in the chemocline and monimolimnion. The anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacterium Chromatium dominated the chemocline along with Lentimicrobium, a genus of known fermenters. Secondary production peaked in the chemocline, which suggested that anoxygenic primary producers depended on heterotrophic nutrient remineralization. The virus-to-microbe ratio peaked with phytoplankton abundances in the mixolimnion and were at a minimum where Chromatium abundance was highest, trends that suggest that viruses may play a role in the modulation of primary production. Through the combined analysis of bacterial, eukaryotic, viral, and biogeochemical spatial dynamics, we provide a comprehensive synthesis of the Lake Cadagno microbial loop. This study offers a new ecological perspective on how biological and geochemical connections may have occurred in the chemocline of the Proterozoic ocean, where eukaryotic microbial life is thought to have evolved. IMPORTANCE As a window into the past, this study offers insights into the potential role that microbial guilds may have played in the production and recycling of organic matter in ancient Proterozoic ocean chemoclines. The new observations described here suggest that chloroplasts of eukaryotic algae were persistent in the low-oxygen upper chemocline along with the purple and green sulfur bacteria known to dominate the lower half of the chemocline. This study provides the first insights into Lake Cadagno's viral ecology. High viral abundances suggested that viruses may be essential components of the chemocline, where their activity may result in the release and recycling of organic matter. The integration of diverse geochemical and biological data types provides a framework that lays the foundation to quantitatively resolve the processes performed by the discrete populations that comprise the microbial loop in this early anoxic ocean analogue.

Anoxygenic photo- and chemo-synthesis of phototrophic sulfur bacteria from an alpine meromictic lake.

Meromictic lakes are interesting ecosystems to study anaerobic microorganisms due their permanent stratification allowing the formation of a stable anoxic environment. The crenogenic meromictic Lake Cadagno harbors an important community of anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacteria responsible for almost half of its total productivity. Besides their ability to fix CO2 through photosynthesis, these microorganisms also showed high rates of dark carbon fixation via chemosyntesis. Here, we grew in pure cultures three populations of anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacteria previously isolated from the lake, accounting for 72.8% of the total microbial community and exibiting different phenotypes: (1) the motile, large-celled purple sulfur bacterium (PSB) Chromatium okenii, (2) the small-celled PSB Thiodictyon syntrophicum and (3) the green sulfur bacterium (GSB) Chlorobium phaeobacteroides. We measured their ability to fix CO2 through photo- and chemo-synthesis, both in situ in the lake and in laboratory under different incubation conditions. We also evaluated the efficiency and velocity of H2S photo-oxidation, an important reaction in the anoxygenic photosynthesis process. Our results confirm that phototrophic sulfur bacteria strongly fix CO2 in the presence of light and that oxygen increases chemosynthesis at night, in laboratory conditions. Moreover, substancial differences were displayed between the three selected populations in terms of activity and abundance.

Role of CT imaging in discriminating internal hernia from aspecific abdominal pain following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a single high-volume centre experience.

Internal hernia (IH) represents a delayed complication of the laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and it is historically difficult to identify preoperatively. Numerous CT signs were considered suggestive of IH but none of them is pathognomonic. In this study, we aim to evaluate the accuracy of CT in diagnosing IH, differentiating from non-specific abdominal pain. This can lead to a way of personalized medicine and improve the outcome of anti-obesity treatments. We retrospectively reviewed CT scans of 50 patients previously subjected to LRYGB procedure, with a clinical suspicion of IH. 3 groups of patients were identified: IH group (21 patients with a surgical confirmed IH), negative group (12 patients in whom IH was not confirmed at surgery), and control group (17 patients who were not surgically explored because of low/no suspicion of IH). We divided CT signs into three groups: "bowel loop signs", "vessel signs", and "venous congestion/stasis signs". The accuracy of CT in detecting IH was tested by comparing each sign, either individually or in combination, with the surgical findings. Statistical analysis showed that "vessel signs" (swirl sign, superior mesenteric vein beaking, mesenteric arteries, and veins branches inversion) present the highest distribution in patients with IH demonstrated at surgery, with a higher accuracy in case of simultaneous presence of two or three signs. CT imaging is highly accurate in diagnosing IH. Despite no single sign being pathognomonic, the combination of two or more signs, especially among the "vessels signs", can suggest the IH, even in pauci-symptomatic patients.

Mixotrophic Growth Under Micro-Oxic Conditions in the Purple Sulfur Bacterium "Thiodictyon syntrophicum".

The microbial ecosystem of the meromictic Lake Cadagno (Ticino, Swiss Alps) has been studied intensively in order to understand structure and functioning of the anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacteria community living in the chemocline. It has been found that the purple sulfur bacterium "Thiodictyon syntrophicum" strain Cad16T, belonging to the Chromatiaceae, fixes around 26% of all bulk inorganic carbon in the chemocline, both during day and night. With this study, we elucidated for the first time the mode of carbon fixation of str. Cad16T under micro-oxic conditions with a combination of long-term monitoring of key physicochemical parameters with CTD, 14C-incorporation experiments and quantitative proteomics using in-situ dialysis bag incubations of str. Cad16T cultures. Regular vertical CTD profiling during the study period in summer 2017 revealed that the chemocline sank from 12 to 14 m which was accompanied by a bloom of cyanobacteria and the subsequent oxygenation of the deeper water column. Sampling was performed both day and night. CO2 assimilation rates were higher during the light period compared to those in the dark, both in the chemocline population and in the incubated cultures. The relative change in the proteome between day and night (663 quantified proteins) comprised only 1% of all proteins encoded in str. Cad16T. Oxidative respiration pathways were upregulated at light, whereas stress-related mechanisms prevailed during the night. These results indicate that low light availability and the co-occurring oxygenation of the chemocline induced mixotrophic growth in str. Cad16T. Our study thereby helps to further understand the consequences micro-oxic conditions for phototrophic sulfur oxidizing bacteria. The complete proteome data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange database with identifier PXD010641.

Draft Genome Sequence of Chromatium okenii Isolated from the Stratified Alpine Lake Cadagno.

Blooms of purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) are important drivers of the global sulfur cycling oxidizing reduced sulfur in intertidal flats and stagnant water bodies. Since the discovery of PSB Chromatium okenii in 1838, it has been found that this species is characteristic of for stratified, sulfidic environments worldwide and its autotrophic metabolism has been studied in depth since. We describe here the first high-quality draft genome of a large-celled, phototrophic, γ-proteobacteria of the genus Chromatium isolated from the stratified alpine Lake Cadagno, C. okenii strain LaCa. Long read technology was used to assemble the 3.78 Mb genome that encodes 3,016 protein-coding genes and 67 RNA genes. Our findings are discussed from an ecological perspective related to Lake Cadagno. Moreover, findings of previous studies on the phototrophic and the proposed chemoautotrophic metabolism of C. okenii were confirmed on a genomic level. We additionally compared the C. okenii genome with other genomes of sequenced, phototrophic sulfur bacteria from the same environment. We found that biological functions involved in chemotaxis, movement and S-layer-proteins were enriched in strain LaCa. We describe these features as possible adaptions of strain LaCa to rapidly changing environmental conditions within the chemocline and the protection against phage infection during blooms. The high quality draft genome of C. okenii strain LaCa thereby provides a basis for future functional research on bioconvection and phage infection dynamics of blooming PSB.

Dark aerobic sulfide oxidation by anoxygenic phototrophs in anoxic waters.

Anoxygenic phototrophic sulfide oxidation by green and purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) plays a key role in sulfide removal from anoxic shallow sediments and stratified waters. Although some PSB can also oxidize sulfide with nitrate and oxygen, little is known about the prevalence of this chemolithotrophic lifestyle in the environment. In this study, we investigated the role of these phototrophs in light-independent sulfide removal in the chemocline of Lake Cadagno. Our temporally resolved, high-resolution chemical profiles indicated that dark sulfide oxidation was coupled to high oxygen consumption rates of ~9 µM O2 ·h-1 . Single-cell analyses of lake water incubated with 13 CO2 in the dark revealed that Chromatium okenii was to a large extent responsible for aerobic sulfide oxidation and it accounted for up to 40% of total dark carbon fixation. The genome of Chr. okenii reconstructed from the Lake Cadagno metagenome confirms its capacity for microaerophilic growth and provides further insights into its metabolic capabilities. Moreover, our genomic and single-cell data indicated that other PSB grow microaerobically in these apparently anoxic waters. Altogether, our observations suggest that aerobic respiration may not only play an underappreciated role in anoxic environments but also that organisms typically considered strict anaerobes may be involved.

Bacterial diversity in the water column of meromictic Lake Cadagno and evidence for seasonal dynamics.

The meromictic Lake Cadagno is characterized by a compact chemocline with high concentrations of anoxygenic phototrophic purple and green sulfur bacteria. However, a complete picture of the bacterial diversity, and in particular of effects of seasonality and compartmentalization is missing. To characterize bacterial communities and elucidate relationships between them and their surrounding environment high-throughput 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing was conducted. Proteobacteria, Chlorobi, Verrucomicrobia, and Actinobacteria were the dominant groups in Lake Cadagno water column. Moreover, bacterial interaction within the chemocline and between oxic and anoxic lake compartments were investigated through fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and flow cytometry (FCM). The different populations of purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) and green sulfur bacteria (GSB) in the chemocline indicate seasonal dynamics of phototrophic sulfur bacteria composition. Interestingly, an exceptional bloom of a cyanobacteria population in the oxic-anoxic transition zone affected the common spatial distribution of phototrophic sulfur bacteria with consequence on chemocline location and water column stability. Our study suggests that both bacterial interactions between different lake compartments and within the chemocline can be a dynamic process influencing the stratification structure of Lake Cadagno water column.

Complete genome sequence of "Thiodictyon syntrophicum" sp. nov. strain Cad16T, a photolithoautotrophic purple sulfur bacterium isolated from the alpine meromictic Lake Cadagno.

"Thiodictyon syntrophicum" sp. nov. strain Cad16T is a photoautotrophic purple sulfur bacterium belonging to the family of Chromatiaceae in the class of Gammaproteobacteria. The type strain Cad16T was isolated from the chemocline of the alpine meromictic Lake Cadagno in Switzerland. Strain Cad16T represents a key species within this sulfur-driven bacterial ecosystem with respect to carbon fixation. The 7.74-Mbp genome of strain Cad16T has been sequenced and annotated. It encodes 6237 predicted protein sequences and 59 RNA sequences. Phylogenetic comparison based on 16S rRNA revealed that Thiodictyon elegans strain DSM 232T the most closely related species. Genes involved in sulfur oxidation, central carbon metabolism and transmembrane transport were found. Noteworthy, clusters of genes encoding the photosynthetic machinery and pigment biosynthesis are found on the 0.48 Mb plasmid pTs485. We provide a detailed insight into the Cad16T genome and analyze it in the context of the microbial ecosystem of Lake Cadagno.

Dynamic cellular complexity of anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacteria in the chemocline of meromictic Lake Cadagno.

The meromictic Lake Cadagno is characterized by a compact chemocline with high concentrations of anoxygenic phototrophic purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) and green sulfur bacteria (GSB). The co-occurrence of phylogenetically distant bacterial groups such as PSB and GSB in the same ecological niche, makes the chemocline of Lake Cadagno an ideal system for studying the conditions and consequences of coexistence of photosynthetic bacteria populations. In this study, we applied flow cytometry (FCM) as a fast tool to identify metabolic changes due to the production and consumption of inclusion bodies such as sulfur globules (SGBs), and follow population dynamics of closely related anoxygenic photosynthetic sulfur bacteria in their natural environment. Large-celled PSB Chromatium okenii and GSB Chlorobium populations were reliably separated and identified due to differences in auto-fluorescence and cell size. Moreover, we showed that these dominant taxa share the same ecological niche over seasonal periods. Taking advantage of FCM detection of dynamic cellular complexity variation during phases of photosynthetic activity, we identified an unexpected alternation in PSB versus GSB metabolic activity, indicating dynamic interspecific interactions between these two populations.

Multidetector CT appearance of the pelvis after cesarean delivery: normal and abnormal acute findings.

Cesarean section (CS) may have several acute complications that can occur in the early postoperative period. The most common acute complications are hematomas and hemorrhage, infection, ovarian vein thrombosis, uterine dehiscence and rupture. Pelvic hematomas usually occur at specific sites and include bladder flap hematoma (between the lower uterine segment and the bladder) and subfascial or rectus sheath hematoma (rectus sheath or prevescical space). Puerperal hemorrhage can be associated with uterine dehiscence or rupture. Pelvic infections include endometritis, abscess, wound infection, and retained product of conception. Radiologists play an important role in the diagnosis and management of postoperative complications as a result of increasing use of multidetector CT in emergency room. The knowledge of normal and abnormal postsurgical anatomy and findings should facilitate the correct diagnosis so that the best management can be chosen for the patient, avoiding unnecessary surgical interventions and additional treatments. In this article we review the surgical cesarean technique and imaging CT technique followed by description of normal and abnormal post-CS CT findings.

Tumour-associated antigens in systemic sclerosis patients with interstitial lung disease: association with lung involvement and cancer risk.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the serum levels of tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) in patients with SSc and interstitial lung disease (ILD) and to define whether their levels mirror the severity and the progression of lung damage. METHODS: Data from 80 SSc patients with ILD were collected at baseline and after 2 years as well as from 40 SSc controls without ILD. The occurrence of any malignancy was recorded. RESULTS: At baseline, an increase of at least one TAA was present in 35 SSc patients with ILD compared with 6 SSc patients without ILD (P < 0.0001); this was associated with lower forced vital capacity (FVC) and higher interstitial and alveolar scores. Levels of carbohydrate antigen 15-3 and carcinoembryonic antigen inversely correlated with FVC and directly correlated with alveolar and interstitial scores and their levels were higher in patients who presented a progression of lung damage after 2 years. During 4 years of follow-up, a malignancy was detected in seven patients who already had an increase of at least one TAA. Values of TAAs increased over time in patients who developed cancer, while their trend remained stable in the others. At multivariate analysis, to have three or more TAAs emerged as a strong independent predictor of the development of malignancies [relative risk 24.1 (95% CI 1.8, 315.0), P = 0.02]. CONCLUSION: TAAs can be elevated in the sera of SSc patients and correlate with the degree of lung damage, suggesting a role as severity biomarkers. Close follow-up is necessary in SSc patients because of the increased cancer risk overall in patients with increased TAAs.

Bowel and mesenteric injuries from blunt abdominal trauma: a review.

The bowel and the mesentery represent the third most frequently involved structures in blunt abdominal trauma after the liver and the spleen. Clinical assessment alone in patients with suspected intestinal and/or mesenteric injury from blunt abdominal trauma is associated with unacceptable diagnostic delays. Multi-detector computed tomography, thanks to its high spatial, time and contrast resolutions, allows a prompt identification and proper classification of such conditions. The radiologist, in fact, is asked not only to identify the signs of trauma but also to provide an indication of their clinical significance, suggesting the chance of conservative treatment in the cases of mild and moderate, non-complicated or self-limiting injuries and focusing on life-threatening conditions which may benefit from immediate surgical or interventional procedures. Specific and non-specific CT signs of bowel and mesenteric injuries from blunt abdominal trauma are reviewed in this paper.

Long-term efficacy of B cell depletion therapy on lung and skin involvement in diffuse systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the long-term efficacy and safety of single and multiple courses of rituximab therapy in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with and without lung disease. METHODS: A total of 20 SSc patients with a diffuse disease were treated with rituximab. At baseline and during follow-up the lung involvement was evaluated with pulmonary function tests (FVC and DLCO) and with lung high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). RESULTS: The skin score, activity, and severity indices improved significantly after 12 months and at final follow-up compared to baseline. After 12 months, there was a significant increase of FVC and TLC compared to baseline (p = 0.024 and p = 0.005, respectively), while the mean DLCO value remained stable. Considering the last available follow-up in six patients with restrictive lung disease at baseline, two patients (33.3%) experienced an increase of more than 10% of FVC, one patient had a decrease of FVC >10%, while in three patients FVC remained stable (50%). After the mean follow-up of 48.5 ± 20.4 months, among the patients with normal lung parameters at baseline, FVC remained stable in 12 (85.7%) and in one patient (14.3%) it increased by more than 10%. At the final follow-up, the alveolar and interstitial HRCT scores remained stable in more than 80% of patients, both in patients with and without restrictive lung disease at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-CD20 B cell depletion therapy is effective on skin involvement but seems also to preserve the pulmonary function, as supported by a stable or improved FVC and stable interstitial score, suggesting a possible role of rituximab as a modifying therapy overall in early diffuse SSc.

A link between arabinose utilization and oxalotrophy in Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

Rhizobia have a versatile catabolism that allows them to compete successfully with other microorganisms for nutrients in the soil and in the rhizosphere of their respective host plants. In this study, Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110 was found to be able to utilize oxalate as the sole carbon source. A proteome analysis of cells grown in minimal medium containing arabinose suggested that oxalate oxidation extends the arabinose degradation branch via glycolaldehyde. A mutant of the key pathway genes oxc (for oxalyl-coenzyme A decarboxylase) and frc (for formyl-coenzyme A transferase) was constructed and shown to be (i) impaired in growth on arabinose and (ii) unable to grow on oxalate. Oxalate was detected in roots and, at elevated levels, in root nodules of four different B. japonicum host plants. Mixed-inoculation experiments with wild-type and oxc-frc mutant cells revealed that oxalotrophy might be a beneficial trait of B. japonicum at some stage during legume root nodule colonization.

Cardiac metastasis from renal cell carcinoma successfully treated with pazopanib: impact of TKIs' antiangiogenic activity.

Cardiac metastasis from renal cell carcinoma, especially without neoplastic thrombosis of the vena cava, is extremely rare. The prognosis of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma has been radically influenced by the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, but very few reports in the literature have described their activity in heart metastasis. We report the case of a woman with a left ventricle metastasis from kidney cancer without renal vein involvement, who was treated with pazopanib. The patient achieved a prolonged partial response, with clear signs of metastasis devascularization and a favorable toxicity profile.

Medullary sponge kidney.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: After it was first described in 1939, medullary sponge kidney (MSK) received relatively little attention. This was because it was believed to have a low prevalence and because it was considered a benign condition. Studies in recent years have been changing these convictions however, hence the present review. RECENT FINDINGS: Insight has been obtained on the genetic basis of this disease, supporting the hypothesis that MSK is due to a disruption at the 'ureteric bud-metanephric mesenchyme' interface. This explains why so many tubular defects coexist in this disease, and particularly a distal tubular acidification defect of which the highly prevalent metabolic bone disease is one very important consequence. In addition to the typical clinical phenotype of recurrent stone disease, other clinical profiles have now been recognized, that is, an indolent, almost asymptomatic MSK, and a rare form characterized by intractable, excruciating pain. SUMMARY: Findings suggest the need for a more comprehensive clinical characterization of MSK patients. The genetic grounds for the condition warrant further investigation, and reliable methods are needed to diagnose MSK.

Familial clustering of medullary sponge kidney is autosomal dominant with reduced penetrance and variable expressivity.

Medullary sponge kidney (MSK) is a renal malformation typically associated with nephrocalcinosis and recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis. Approximately 12% of recurrent stone formers have MSK, which is generally considered a sporadic disorder. Since its discovery, three pedigrees have been described in which an apparently autosomal dominant inheritance was suggested. Here, family members of 50 patients with MSK were systematically investigated by means of interviews, renal imaging, and biochemical studies in an effort to establish whether MSK is an inheritable disorder. Twenty-seven MSK probands had 59 first- and second-degree relatives of both genders with MSK in all generations. There were progressively lower mean levels of serum calcium, urinary sodium, pH, and volume, combined with higher serum phosphate and potassium from probands to relatives with bilateral, to those with unilateral, and to those unaffected by MSK. This suggests that most affected relatives have a milder form of MSK than the probands, which would explain why they had not been so diagnosed. Thus, our study provides strong evidence that familial clustering of MSK is common, and has an autosomal dominant inheritance, a reduced penetrance, and variable expressivity.

Evaluation of the dentoskeletal characteristics of an Egyptian mummy with three-dimensional computer analysis.

BACKGROUND: Since the introduction of Roentgen rays in medical diagnostics, mummies have been subjected to radiographic and cephalometric studies. These have, among others, the advantage of providing details that are not directly visible for inspection without the need to tamper with the relics. The acquisition of three-dimensional imaging techniques has also extended the possibility of noninvasive investigation, so that many famous mummies, such as those of Tutankhamun and Ramses II, underwent three-dimensional computed tomography (CT). METHODS: Computed tomography scan of Egyptian mummy of a 20- to 30-year-old woman found in Fayum and dating from the second century B.C. has been performed. DICOM data of the CT scan have been processed by means of a software for three-dimensional CT imaging processing. The purpose of this report was to present the somatic and skeletal characteristics of the mummy. RESULTS: Thanks to the image processing, a "virtual reconstruction" of the original facial features of the mummy has been obtained, and a reliable cephalometric tracing could be performed. The data derived from cephalometric tracings were similar to those published on other studies on a group of Egyptian mummies and on a sample of Iowa adult males. CONCLUSIONS: In our opinion, three-dimensional image processing of CT scan is useful to perform noninvasive morphologic investigations on archeological find, to allow virtual correction of postmortem artifact and to perform reliable cephalometric tracings.