Original Article

Dual-Source Dual-Energy CT-Scan Confirms the Diagnosis of Ancient Hydatid Cysts Recovered from a Late Roman Burial in Amiens, France

Abstract

Background: Two calcified objects recovered from an adolescent in a burial site in Amiens, France, have been previously identified as hydatid cysts using thin-section petrography. The importance of ancient hydatidosis besides the value of these unique archeological excavated materials encouraged the authors to look at this attractive subject more interdisciplinary by implementing medical radiology.
Methods: In the current experiment, which has been carried out in the Radiology Department, Tehran Heart Center (THC), Tehran, Iran, the conventional and dual-energy dual-source CT-scan was used in studying the remaining structures of the two calcified masses. The imaging procedure was carried out based on X-Ray attenuation by two different tube voltages.
Results: A high concentration of calcium sediment in the cyst walls was revealed in Hounsfield units, the measuring of the elements in CT. Taking advantage of implementing this imaging technique the oxalate calcium was also shown as the dominant component of the samples. The results were all in favor of diagnosing hydatid cysts.
Conclusion: The achieved pictorial results in the present paper have highlighted the important role of CT scan as a noninvasive confirming technique in paleopathological investigations. Using Dual-source dual-energy CT-scan in reconfirming these previously identified hydatid cysts, is an encouraging message towards the necessity of sequential studies on invaluable biological excavated pieces.

1. Siracusano A, Teggi A, Ortona E. Human cystic echinococcosis: old problems and new perspectives. Interdiscip Perspect Infect Dis. 2009; 2009: 474368.
2. Garg MK, Sharma M , Gulati A , et al. Imaging in pulmonary hydatid cysts. World J Radiol. 2016. 8(6): p. 581-87.
3. Beaver PC, Jung RC, Cupp EW. Clinical Parasitology. Pennsylvania: Lea & Febiger; 1984.
4. Bouchet F, Harter S, Le Bailly M. The state of the art of paleoparasitological research in the Old World. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2003; 98: p. 95-101.
5. Paknezhad N, Mazdarani FH, Hessari M, et al. Retrieving ascarid and taeniid eggs from the biological remains of a Neolithic dog from the late 9th millennium BC in Western Iran. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2017; 112: p. 593-595.
6. Mowlavi G, Kacki S, Dupouy-Camet J, et al. Probable hepatic capillariosis and hydatidosis in an adolescent from the late Roman period buried in Amiens (France). Parasite, 2014. 21:9.
7. Organization, W.H. Echinococcosis 2021; Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/echinococcosis
8. Omrani GR, Kargar F, Aazami MH. Intra-pericardial hydatid cyst seen by dynamic computed tomography. E J Cardio Surg, 2006. 30(5): p. 805-805.
9. Gonçalves ML, Araújo A, Ferreira LF. Human intestinal parasites in the past: new findings and a review. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2003. 98: p. 103-118.
10. Ferreira LF, Reinhard K J, Araújo A. Foundations of paleoparasitology. Editora Fiocruz; 2014.
11. Sandison A, Tapp A. Disease in ancient Egypt. 1998: Cambridge: Cam Uni Press.
12. Aali A, Abar A, Boenke N, et al. Ancient salt mining and salt men: the interdisciplinary Chehrabad Douzlakh project in north-western Iran. Antiquity, 2012. 86(333).
13. Kutschera W, Rom W. Ötzi, the prehistoric Iceman. NIM-B, 2000. 164: p. 12-22.
14. Moghadasi AN. Artificial eye in burnt city and theoretical understanding of how vision works. Iran J Public Health. 2014. 43(11): p. 1595-96.
15. Engin G, Acunaş B, Rozanes I, Acunaş G. Hydatid disease with unusual localization. Eur Radiol, 2000. 10(12): p. 1904-1912.
16. Moorrees CF, Fanning EA, , Hunt EE Jr. Age variation of formation stages for ten permanent teeth. J Dent Res, 1963. 42(6): p. 1490-1502.
17. Cunningham C, Scheuer L, Black S. Developmental juvenile osteology. Academic press. 2016.
18. Pawłowski ZS, Eckert J, Vuitton D, et al. Echinococcosis in humans: clinical aspects, diagnosis and treatment. In: Eckert J, Gemmell MA, Meslin et al. editors WHO/OIE manual on echinococcosis in humans and animals: a public health problem of global concern. 2001: p. 20-66.
19. Eckert J, Gemmell MA, Meslin FX, et al. WHO/OIE manual on echinococcosis in humans and animals: a public health problem of global concern. Paris, France: World Organisation for Animal Health, 2001.
20. Mehta P, Prakash M, Khandelwal N. Radiological manifestations of hydatid disease and its complications. Trop Parasitol, 2016. 6(2): p. 103.
21. Pedrosa I, Gemmell MA, Meslin F, et al. Hydatid Disease: Radiologic and Pathologic Features and Complications 1: (CME available in print version and on RSNA Link). Radiographics, 2000. 20(3): p. 795-817.
22. Petrella E, Piciucchi S, Feletti F, et al. CT scan of thirteen natural mummies dating back to the XVI-XVIII centuries: an emerging tool to investigate living conditions and diseases in history. PLoS One, 2016. 11(6): p. e0154349.
23. Omoumi P, Becce F, Racine D, et al. Dual-energy CT: basic principles, technical approaches, and applications in musculoskeletal imaging (Part 1). in Seminars in musculoskeletal radiology. 2015. Thieme Medical Publishers.
Files
IssueVol 17 No 2 (2022) QRcode
SectionOriginal Article(s)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v17i2.9536
Keywords
Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cysts Dual-source dual-energy CT-scan Amiens

Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Mowlavi G, Shirani S, Askari Z, Dupouy-Camet J, Kacki S, Fasihi Harandi M, Kargar F, Bizhani N, Naddaf SR. Dual-Source Dual-Energy CT-Scan Confirms the Diagnosis of Ancient Hydatid Cysts Recovered from a Late Roman Burial in Amiens, France. Iran J Parasitol. 2022;17(2):194-201.