Osteochondroma in a skeleton from an 11th century Croatian cemetery

We present a case of a well-preserved bone tumor in a skeleton from a Croatian skeletal series dated to the 11th century AD. The tumor is located on the anterior side of the neck of the right femur. The gross morphology of the tumor - a round, lumpy, cauliflower-like appearance with a fairly smooth external surface - is consistent with osteochondroma. The diagnosis is supported by x-ray and CAT-scan findings, which show thickened trabeculae and an internal structure of cancellous bone interspersed with areas of dense compact bone. Comparison with x-rays from a patient surgically treated in 1999 for an osteochondroma with the same localization shows that the characteristics of the tumor have remained unchanged from the 11th century.