Poundbury Camp in context – a new perspective on the lives of children from urban and rural Roman England

Objectives The current understanding of child morbidity in Roman England is dominated by studies of single sites/regions. Much of the data are derived from third to fifth century AD Poundbury Camp, Dorchester, Dorset, considered an unusual site due to high levels of non-adult morbidity. There is little understanding of children in rural areas, and whether Poundbury Camp was representative of Romano-British childhood. Materials and methods The study provides the first large scale analysis of child health in urban and rural Roman England, adding to the previously published intra-site analysis of non-adult paleopathology at Poundbury Camp. Age-at-death and pathology prevalence rates were reassessed for 953 non-adults (0–17 years) from five major urban, six minor urban, and four rural sites (first to fifth century AD). The data were compared to the results from 364 non-adults from Poundbury Camp. Results Rural sites demonstrated higher levels of infant burials, and greater prevalence of cribra orbitalia in the 1.1–2.5 year (TPR 64.3%), and 6.6–10.5 year cohorts (TPR 66.7%). Endocranial lesions were more frequent in the minor urban sample (TPR 15.9%). Three new cases of tuberculosis were identified in urban contexts. Vitamin D deficiency was most prevalent at Poundbury Camp (CPR 18.8%), vitamin C deficiency was identified more frequently in rural settlements (CPR 5.9%). Discussion The Poundbury Camp data on morbidity and mortality are not representative of patterns in Roman England and other major urban sites. Rural children suffered from a distinct set of pathologies described as diseases of deprivation, prompting reconsideration of how Romano-British land management affected those at the bottom of the social hierarchy

Mandibular plasmocytoma with sun-ray periosteal reaction: A unique presentation

AbstractIntroductionSolitary plasmocytoma is a rare plasmacytic cell tumor, which occurs in the head and neck region and rarely involves the mandible.Presentation of caseWe present a unique radiographic presentation of solitary bone plasmocytoma (SBP) occurring in the Jaw. A 63-year-old male presented with the left mandibular swelling and on the conventional radiograph we noticed a lytic lesion with a sunray periosteal reaction. Clinical diagnosis was osteosarcoma but histopathology revealed sheets of plasma cells with cartwheel appearance and expansile bony trabecula suggestive for solitary bone plasmocytoma. 5years after complentary treatment by local radiotherapy he developed malaise, weakness and generalized bone pain and bone marrow aspiration revealed more than 90% plasma cell in the marrow and diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma was confirmed.DISCUSSIONSBP is radiographically seen as a well-defined radiolucent expansile lytic lesion with cortical thinning and no periosteal reaction. The imaging appearance of periosteal reaction is determined by the intensity, aggressiveness, and duration of the underlying pathology. Osteosarcoma, Metastasis (especially from sigmoid colon and rectum), Ewing s sarcoma, Haemangioma, meningioma and Tuberculosis are the main differential diagnosis of Sunburst periosteal reaction.ConclusionSunray periosteal reaction should be included in the differential diagnosis of lytic bone lesion in the mandible