Volume 6, September 2014, Pages 34–43
Case Study
A probable case of congenital syphilis from 18th century Vienna
Highlights
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- First archaeological evidence of a case of probable congenital syphilis from Austria.
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- Enamel defects on deciduous and permanent dentition.
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- Contribution to variable forms of dental expression in case of congenital syphilis.
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- Known stigmata as well as traits rarely recorded.
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- Documentation of dental defects on the deciduous dentition postulated by Karnosh (1926) from clinical practice.
Abstract
Archaeological
excavation of a historic cemetery in Vienna, Austria, dating to the
Josephinian period (CE 1765–1790) yielded a likely case of congenital
syphilis. The individual displays intensive alteration of the permanent
and deciduous dentition such as the mulberry molar and a tapered,
fang-like canine. Traits rarely documented in paleopathological
literature such as unnotched Hutchinson's incisors or pitting on the
base of the cusps of deciduous second molars complement the finding. The
present contribution describes this first probable case of congenital
syphilis from Central Europe based on dental morphology. Beyond this
documentation the specimen is compared to previous cases reported
elsewhere.
Keywords
- Treponematosis;
- Congenital syphilis;
- Enamel hypoplasia;
- Hutchison's incisor;
- Mulberry molar
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+43 14016037712.
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