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Giant bladder stone in a natural mummy of the early 19th century
Valentina Giuffra1, Lorenzo Costantini, Loredana Costantini Biasini
1Division of Paleopathology, History of Medicine and Bioethics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. v.giuffra@med.unipi.it
Abstract:
We present a case of a giant bladder stone, 7.5 cm in diameter, found in the pelvis of a 19th-century natural mummy from Borgo Cerreto (central Italy). We used microchemical energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis and x-ray diffraction to define the mineral composition of the stone and obtain information about its internal structure. Chemical analysis showed a mixed composition. The internal layers contained mostly ammonium acid urate, whereas the external layers were composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite). Our research suggests a metabolic origin for the calculosis, with superimposed infection.
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