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Calcium Oxalate Deposits in the Kidney of a Pre-Columbian Mummy
Pedro L. Fermandez and Jordi Esteban
Hospital Clinic and University of Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
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The case presented consists of a kidney sample from a. 40 year old male from the Azapa culture
(1000-500 BC), recovered in a pre-columbian cemetery in the Valley of Azapa, near the coastal city of
Arica in northern Chile. The mummy was found without the head, but had all the internal organs in place.
An arrow coming from the back was lodged in the upper lobe of the left lung, producing massive
haemorrhage and was assumed to be the immediate cause of death. The rest of the organs were normal on
gross examination.
After rehydration with Ruffer´s solution, microscopic examination of the kidney showed the presence of
intratubular crystalline calculi with iridescent polarisation. Examination of the crystals with
SEM-EDAX ( scanning electron microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis System) demonstrated that
the calculi where mainly composed of weddelite, the dihydrated form of calcium oxalate, which suggests
that the main cause of such calculi formation was the scarce water supply in the area, leading to
hypercalciuria and concentrated urine.
This study shows how the combination of different techniques can provide comprehensive and detailed
information on paleopathological findings and their potential value as research tools for this and other
disciplines.
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