Abstract
Gigantism is a serious condition, manifesting itself not only in excessive body height, but also in disturbances within other systems [e.g. respiratory, nervous and vascular system (Hayles 1980)] since it is caused by excessive secretion of the pituitary hormone somatotrophin, most frequently in connection with an acidophil adenoma developed in childhood. A skeleton, likely female, excavated from an early medieval cemetery of Ostrow Lednicki in Lednogora, dated between the end of 11th and the beginning of the 14th century A.D., is presented. The length of the skeleton in situ was 208 cm, and after Trotter, Gleser's -215,5 cm. Morphological, radiological and TC investigations show that the bones are massive, particularly the skull. Lesions are apparent in many bones, especially in the skull and vertebrae. These are lesions characteristic of gigantism : acromegaly, osteoma, inflammatory process, fracture, degenerative deformations, extensive loading and some developmental deviations. Apart from a thorough description and measurements of the case, a short outline of hitherto described cases of gigantism is presented.
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