Thoracic aortic aneurysm in a pre-Columbian (210 BC) inhabitant of Northern Chile: Implications for the origins of syphilis.

The aim of this work is to report a probable first case of a thoracic aortic aneurysm in the remains of a pre-Columbian individual from South America and to explore the relationship of this case to the only other paleopathological case previously described. We also consider the implications of both cases for the origins of syphilis. This study is based on the macroscopical analysis of human remains recovered during excavation of the Chiu Chiu 273 prehistoric cemetery, in the Antofagasta Region of Northern Chile.