Mummy's Medicine

This is no ordinary hand. It belongs to Andong – the mummified remains of a 17th century Korean man. Andong, named after the city where he was buried, was middle-aged when he died. Using autopsy and computed tomography (CT) images, researchers diagnosed Andong with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a birth defect which often proves fatal in infants. Diaphragmatic hernia describes a condition where a hole forms in the diaphragm, the muscular sheet that separates the chest and abdomen. Developing before birth, the defect allows the intestines to enter the chest cavity, preventing correct lung growth. Today, improved surgical techniques mean babies born with CDH have a much better outlook than in Andong’s day. The Andong mummy is currently the only confirmed case of CDH identified from archaeological remains.

Written by Hayley Simon

Hayley Simon

Writer

Hayley, a third year Chemistry undergraduate at the University of Warwick, runs her own blog about science and writes for the University newspaper. She particularly enjoys talking endlessly about science to anyone who will listen.

• Image by Dong Hoon Shin and colleagues
• Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea
• Originally published under a Creative Commons Licence (BY 4.0)
• Research published in PLOS One, July 2014