Unique case of complete splenic ossification from a medieval burial site in Ukraine

Paleopathology deals with the diseases of past living beings and typically involves examination of archaeological skeletal remains. Thereby, ectopic bones have only rarely been found or are easily overlooked. Here, a case of complete ossification of the spleen from medieval Ukraine (11th -12th century CE) is presented. The specimen concerns a male who died at approximately 40–49 years of age, and showed no diseases that could be diagnosed in bone. Topology, macroscopic, radiological, and microscopic examination techniques were applied, revealing morphological features supporting the diagnosis of an ossified spleen. Splenic ossification is well described in radiology, but mostly involves only part of the spleen. Here, to the best of our knowledge, we present the first discovery of a complete splenic ossification found during archaeological excavations. The cause and the underlying pathomechanism are being discussed, but cannot be clearly determined because no specific pathologies could be diagnosed in bone. The existence of ectopic bone should be given greater consideration in archaeological investigations.