Juxtacortical osteoma: an histopathological diagnosis in an anthropological specimen

Abstract

Deceased persons or human remains may be identified by the recognition of pathological structures, malformations or normal anatomical variants of organs and tissues. Throughout times, they have also contributed to historical and epidemiological studies of diseases and populations’ characteristics. The case here reported concerns a femur presenting a mass-forming lesion, whose anthropological examination suggested to be a certain bone tumor and the histopathological evaluation provided a different and definitive diagnosis – that of a Juxtacortical (Parosteal) Osteoma –, thus emphasizing the value of cooperative work among forensic sciences, for any kind of medico-legal investigation