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Updated: Jan 2, 2026

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Black Bone Disease of the Skull
David E Smolar1, Monica C Mureb2, Robert A Fenstermaker3
1Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA; Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA.
Abstract:
We present an image of a patient's skull characterized by dark, irregular discoloration. This was discovered incidentally in a 66-year-old man who underwent craniotomy for resection of a glioblastoma. This image demonstrates cranial black bone disease. This is an abnormal bone pigmentation associated with long-term tetracycline use, as occurred in this patient.
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