The Evolution of Pituitary Gland Surgery from the Ancients to the Millennials.

Located at the base of the skull, the pituitary gland has a long and controversial history, not only in terms of its anatomy, but especially in the functions it performs and in the attempt to approach it surgically. Considered by Galen of Pergamon to have a role in releasing waste products of the brain, a theory accepted until the 17th century, the pituitary gland became a separate entity once with the anatomical descriptions of the famous Andreas Vesalius. At the beginning of the 18th century, researches of the time began to be more and more interested in this gland, trying to identify its functions, and at the same time correcting the traditional theories that were wrong or incomplete. Later, they turned their attention to experimental animal studies that represented the germinal nucleus for the transcranial and endoscopic pituitary surgery. In this review, an attempt has been made to record the entire history of anatomy, physiology and surgery of the pituitary gland, from antiquity to the current day's surgical techniques.

Pain and its management: Dante's Divine Comedy.

Dante Alighieri died in 1321; therefore, 2021 is the 700th anniversary of his death. His best known work is the Divine Comedy, which explores Dante's journey through the three realms of the underworld. Each realm is associated with three different sensations: Inferno, bodily (pain); Purgatorio, acoustic (music); and Paradiso, visual (light). The progression of the painful experiences and the resolution through music and light mirror the modern understanding of pain and its management. Music has both direct and indirect benefits and can help with coping. Sunlight promotes well-being and self-awareness.

Non-Invasive Paleo-Metabolomics and Paleo-Proteomics Analyses Reveal the Complex Funerary Treatment of the Early 18th Dynasty Dignitary NEBIRI (QV30).

Biochemical investigations were carried out on the embalmed head of Nebiri (Museo Egizio, Turin; S-5109)-an 18th Dynasty Ancient Egyptian dignitary-and on the canopic jar containing his lungs (Museo Egizio, Turin; S. 5111/02) with the aim of characterizing the organ's (lung) specific paleo-proteins and of identifying the compounds used in his embalming "recipe". The application of a functionalized film method allowed us to perform a non-invasive sampling. Paleo-proteomics confirmed the presence of lung tissue-specific proteins (organ specific) as well as the presence of proteins linked to severe inflammation. Paleoproteomics and paleometabolomics further allowed the identification of the main components of Nebiri's embalming recipe: animal fats and glue, balms, essential oils, aromatic plants, heated Pistacia, and coniferous resins. Both the use of Pistacia and coniferous resins in an early 18th Dynasty individual confirm Nebiri's high social status. The technique applied offers a targeted approach to the chemical characterization of human tissues, embalming compounds, and organic materials layering in pottery. The ability of the functionalized film method to harvest all types of compounds, from macromolecules (i.e., proteins) to small molecules (i.e., organic acids) opens a new path in the study of ancient material culture; furthermore, it allows to perform untargeted analysis, which is necessary when no a priori information is available.

Trauma of bone and soft tissues in South American mummies-New cases provide further insight into violence and lethal outcome.

There exist numerous reports on violence in South American populations which shed a particular light on life and living conditions in those historic communities. Most studies have been performed on collections of isolated skulls. Whole-body investigations especially on well-preserved mummified human remains are rare. In the present study we investigated three South American mummies predating the Colonial Spanish period. The "Marburg" man lived between 996 and 1147 CE and was buried in typical burial bundle. The analysis of the textiles, ceramics and fishing tools associated with his naturally mummified body suggests that he most likely originated from the Arica region in Northern Chile and was possibly part of a fishing community. The "Delémont" natural mummies belong to an adult male and an adult female, respectively. The mummies, the textiles and grave goods were investigated. The ceramics suggest a provenance from the Arequipa region, supposing that all the artifacts were originally associated with the two mummies. The Delémont male mummy is 14C dated between 902 and 994 CE and the "Delémont" female mummy 14C dated between 1224 and 1282 CE. All mummies underwent Multidetector Computed Tomography which showed evidence of trauma, some of which were interpreted as evidence of interpersonal violence. An interdisciplinary approach was applied with the particular intention to identify trauma sequels and to evaluate their paleo-forensic potential. Evidence of violence was identified in the two male individuals. Our study provides evidence that the interdisciplinary investigation of well-preserved human remains may detect much more frequent traces of intentional trauma than previously thought. Particularly, trauma against the body may not be identified in studies on skulls alone, and trauma residues of internal organs/soft tissues will only be seen in mummies. We therefore add further evidence of two cases of (lethal) trauma in pre-colonial South-American male individuals.

Mary Shelley's migraines and fatal stroke: some observations on their primary cause.

In this article the origins of Mary Shelley's neurological and cerebrovascular problems are described. Through a reanalysis of her biography, her early health issues caused by a dermatological condition, potentially eczema, psoriasis or chickenpox, are related, thanks to current biomedical knowledge, to her migraines and strokes, including the one that killed her.

Intertwining art, religion and anatomy: did Michelangelo Buonarroti influence Berengario da Carpi's representation of a maternal death?

AIM: To confirm that the sixteenth century surgeon-anatomist, Jacopo Berengario da Carpi, used a woman who died of a ruptured uterus as a model for a woodcut of female genital anatomy, and that the presentation was based on the cloak in Michelangelo's Creation of Adam after visiting the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican whilst he was in Rome. METHOD: Analysis of the woodcut for evidence of a uterus at term, and comparison with the shape of the cloak in the Creation of Adam, coupled with Berengario's own description. RESULTS: The size of the uterus is that in the 38th to 40th week of pregnancy, further supported by striations of the endometrial surface, rather than the smooth surface of the non-gravid. By rotating the woman's image 90° counterclockwise, the outline of the woman's cloak becomes almost perfectly superimposed over God's cloak. CONCLUSION: In the woodcut, the open belly of the model shows typical features of the full-term uterus. The use of God's cloak softens the features. At the same time, it exemplifies the creative power of God and describes the birth of humanity in both theological and physiological ways. Intertwining art, religion and anatomy, Michelangelo and Berengario allow scholars to appreciate the concepts of divinity and humanity at multiple levels.

Unilateral Facial Asymmetry in a 40 BCE Roman Carved Head.

ABSTRACT: We describe the peculiar facial morphology of a carved head dating to the end of the Roman Republican period (40 BCE) which displays evident unilateral asymmetry. A comprehensive discussion of the different etiologies is provided and a contextualization of this condition in the broader frame of Roman artistic verism is offered. This case study contributes to the knowledge of disease presentation in the ancient world, with a special focus on the anatomy of soft tissue pathology.

Mazzini at 150: the Italian death of a London exile.

The year 2022 will mark the 150th anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Mazzini, the spiritual father of the Italian Republic and one of the best political minds of the nineteenth century. In this review, we revisit the events surrounding Mazzini's death, based on a report published in 1872 by Dr. Giovanni Rossini, the Italian physician who cared for him during his last days in Pisa. The detailed clinical information provided by Dr. Rossini suggests quite strongly that Mazzini's most likely cause of death was gastroesophageal cancer complicated by aspiration pneumonia. Surprisingly, there are no published medline entries concerning the cause of death of this Italian patriot and revolutionary, who spent 41 years of his life in exile, was admired by Dickens, Meredith and Carlyle, and is considered not only one of the founding fathers of Italy but also one of the visionaries behind the idea of a United Europe.

Why paleomedicine is useful for medical education.

What is the place of medico-historical cases in the professional practice of the disciplinary field of medicine and biology? How can these patients from the past be used for teaching and continuing medical education? How to justify their place in biomedical publications? In this article, we explain all the legitimacy of paleomedicine, and the need to intensify such research in the form of a well-individualised branch of paleopathology and the history of medicine.