Hoffman Heidi, Hudgins Patricia A
Department of Radiology, Emory University Hospital, 1364 Clifton Rd., NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2002 Jun;178(6):1367-76. doi: 10.2214/ajr.178.6.1781367.
CT is an indispensable imaging tool in the evaluation of Egyptian mummies because it can noninvasively generate large amounts of data. We applied current CT imaging and postprocessing techniques to methodically survey the head and skull base features of nine Egyptian mummies in the hope of providing paleopathologic and radiologic information.
Nine Egyptian mummies were evaluated on helical CT using 1-mm axial scans obtained from the skull vertex to the mid cervical spine. Systematic evaluation of the skull and intracranial contents, paranasal sinuses, craniocervical junction, orbits, temporal bones including the middle and inner ears, teeth, and superficial soft tissues was undertaken. Reformatted and volume-rendered images were generated.
CT findings indicated that the intracranial contents of the nine mummies varied tremendously. Destruction of the anterior skull base structures in mummies without intracranial contents suggested a transnasal, transethmoidal approach to excerebration. A large amount of expensive embalming material within the skull of one mummy suggests that he may have been a royal pharoah. A cleft palate deformity was identified in a child mummy. Temporal bone analysis revealed one case of asymmetric mastoid air cell erosion and dehiscence, which is strongly suggestive of prior mastoiditis. Craniocervical junction abnormalities and ossicular chain disruption in several mummies were attributed to postmortem damage. The orbital structures had intentionally been removed in several mummies. Dental disease was ubiquitous among the adult specimens. CONCLUSION. The systematic evaluation of the head and skull base of mummies with CT can provide insight into the life, disease, death, and postmortem treatment of these ancient Egyptians.
CT是评估埃及木乃伊不可或缺的成像工具，因为它能够无创地生成大量数据。我们应用当前的CT成像和后处理技术，对九具埃及木乃伊的头部和颅底特征进行系统研究，以期提供古病理学和放射学信息。
对九具埃及木乃伊进行螺旋CT扫描，轴向扫描层厚1毫米，范围从颅顶至颈椎中段。对颅骨及颅内结构、鼻窦、颅颈交界、眼眶、包括中耳和内耳的颞骨、牙齿及浅表软组织进行系统评估，并生成重组图像和容积再现图像。
CT检查结果显示，九具木乃伊的颅内结构差异巨大。无颅内结构的木乃伊前颅底结构破坏提示经鼻、经筛窦的脑切除方法。一具木乃伊颅骨内有大量昂贵的防腐材料，表明其可能是皇家法老。在一具儿童木乃伊中发现腭裂畸形。颞骨分析显示1例乳突气房不对称侵蚀及裂开，强烈提示既往有乳突炎。几具木乃伊的颅颈交界异常和听骨链中断归因于死后损伤。几具木乃伊的眼眶结构被有意移除。成人标本中普遍存在牙齿疾病。结论：利用CT对木乃伊的头部和颅底进行系统评估，有助于深入了解这些古埃及人的生活、疾病、死亡及死后处理情况。
