A mature ovarian teratoma from New Kingdom Amarna, Egypt.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the fifth case of a mature ovarian teratoma reported in the bioarchaeological literature, contributing to the temporal and geographical distribution of known examples of this unusual pathology. MATERIALS: An 18-21-year-old female found in situ within a multi-chambered subterranean tomb in the North Desert Cemetery at Amarna, Egypt (founded c. 1345 BCE) was recovered associated with a multi-lobed roughly ovoid calcified mass and two associated teeth identified within the pelvic cavity. METHODS: Macroscopic evaluation alongside careful differential diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of multiple teeth and their degree of development provided sufficient evidence to identify this mass as an ovarian teratoma found in association with a young woman buried in one of the most richly adorned burials in the non-elite cemeteries at the New Kingdom site of Amarna. The teratoma is interpreted within our understanding of the broader social context of ancient Egyptian medical knowledge. SIGNIFICANCE: This case is the only reported example of a mature ovarian teratoma from Pharaonic Egypt, and Africa more broadly, predating other reported cases by several centuries. It adds considerable temporal and geographical depth to our understanding of this condition in the past. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited to macroscopic examination of remains and would likely benefit from either x-ray or CT-scanning of the object to examine the internal structure. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Further consideration of the likely physical implications of this pathology, along with the broader social aspects of burial with objects of potential magico-medical significance is necessary.

Near-infrared fluorescence guided surgery: State of the evidence from a health technology assessment perspective.

Different applications of near-infrared fluorescence-guided surgery are very promising, and techniques that help surgeons in intraoperative guidance have been developed, thereby bridging the gap between preoperative imaging and intraoperative visualization and palpation. Thus, these techniques are advantageous in terms of being faster, safer, less invasive, and cheaper. There are a few fluorescent dyes available, but the most commonly used dye is indocyanine green. It can be used in its natural form, but different nanocapsulated and targeted modifications are possible, making this dye more stable and specific. A new active tumor-targeting strategy is the conjugation of indocyanine green nanoparticles with antibodies, making this dye targeted and highly selective to various tumor proteins. In this mini-review, we discuss the application of near-infrared fluorescence-guided techniques in thoracic surgery. During lung surgery, it can help find small, non-palpable, or additional tumor nodules, it is also useful for finding the sentinel lymph node and identifying the proper intersegmental plane for segmentectomies. Furthermore, it can help visualize the thoracic duct, smaller bullae of the lung, phrenic nerve, or pleural nodules. We summarize current applications and provide a framework for future applications and development.