Egill Skallagrímsson: The first case of Van Buchem disease?

Egill Skallagrímsson, a tenth-century Viking, was a colourful warrior poet and an early anti-hero. The thickness and strength of his skull and his very ugly facial features with a prominent mandible have suggested to some authorities that Egill suffered from Paget’s disease of bone. However, Paget’s bone, while thickened, lacks structural integrity, infrequently involves the mandible and is prone to fractures.

Egill Skallagrímsson: The first case of Van Buchem disease?

Egill Skallagrímsson, a tenth-century Viking, was a colourful warrior poet and an early anti-hero. The thickness and strength of his skull and his very ugly facial features with a prominent mandible have suggested to some authorities that Egill suffered from Paget’s disease of bone. However, Paget’s bone, while thickened, lacks structural integrity, infrequently involves the mandible and is prone to fractures.