Dr. I. Pap szerk.: Studia historico-anthropologica (Anthropologia Hungarica 22. Budapest, 1992)

ANTHROPOLOGIA HUNGARICA XXII. 1992 p. 57-60. The occurrence of spina bifida occulta in Medieval and contemporaneous Hungarian populations by L. Józsa, I. Pap and E. Fóthi, Budapest Józsa, L., Pap, I. and Fóthi, E.: The occurrence of spina bifida occulta in Medieval and contemporaneous Hungarian populations. — Anthrop. hung. 1992, 22: 57-60. Abstract — No significant difference was found between the historical (4.2%) and contemporaneous groups (2.3%) in the frequency of spina bifida occulta in the Hungarian populations. With 1 table. INTRODUCTION Spina bifida is a developmental abnormality involving failure of the laminae of one or more vertebral arches to fuse in the midline. The most innocuous form is spina bifida occulta where no herniation of the spinal cord or meninges occurs. Spina bifida occulta most commonly occurs in the fifth lumbar and/or upper or two sacral vertebrae. The incidence of severe spina bifida with meningocele or with meningomyelocele is well documented, but the data concerning the frequency of spina bifida occulta are confusing. Spina bifida occulta is usually symptomless and therefore often passes undetected. More information is required concerning the prevalence of spina bifida occulta in archaeological material. Thould and Thould (1983) found 51% spina bifida occulta among 680 skeleton from Roman Britain. Braunstein et al. (1988) in one of 12 royal mummies have found sacralisation of Ly, but no spina bifida occulta. Luzsa et al. (1988) in five of 15 Arpadian age skeleton demonstrated spina bifida sacralis. Simper (1986) among 46 Eskimo skeletons found 5 cases of spina bifida sacralis. Lester and Shapiro (1968) calculated 15% frequency on North American Eskimos. Post (1966) examined adult skeletal remains of diverse temporal (prehistoric to 12th century) and geographical (North and South America, Australia, Japan, China, Egypt) origin. The author demonstrated a higher frequency of spina bifida occulta in those populations with "longer histories of civilization". Saluja (1988) examined 112 skeletons from 18th-19th centuries and 140 contemporaneous persons. The frequency was 15.2% for the historic and 15.7% for the modern group, Pap (1983) elaborated 46 skeletons originating from the 10th century of Tímár (North-East Hungary) and found two cases of spina bifida sacralis.