A huge crater-like defect with sclerotic edges on the convex surface of the skull Giza E 270 from the Late Period, deposited in the Museum of the Department of Biological Anthropology in Cambridge (GB), attracted attention of several palaeopathologists, anthropologists and radiologists, starting with Brothwell in 1967. Its diagnosis oscilated from an intradiploid epidermoid cyst or meningioma, to sarcoma or lytic metastatic carcinoma. During screening for cases of malignant and unusual benign tumours in the Old World, another skull Prostějov G 2834 displaying two similar defects, dated to the Middle Bronze Age Lusatian Culture, was detected in the collections of the Patriotic Museum in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Both skulls were submitted to macroscopic, radiological and microscopic examinations. By analysing their characteristic morphological features, a long standing benign tumour hemangioma was diagnosed for both cases.

Ústav dějin lékařství a cizích jazyků 1 LF UK Praha

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