A probable case of subligamentous tuberculous spondylitis: The concealed body of the Late Modern Period (early 16th century to early 20th century), Franciscan crypt of St. Anthony and St. Eusebius church, Lombardy, Italy

Abstract

This paper presents a probable case of subligamentous tuberculous spondylitis (STBS), a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, diagnosed in the skeleton of a middle‐aged male discovered in the ossuary of the Franciscan crypt of the St. Anthony and St. Eusebius church, which lies in north‐western Italy. The skeleton can be dated back between the 17th and 19th centuries. This rare type of tuberculosis was identified in the thoracic and lumbar spine, with no further evidences at the level of the cranial and other postcranial bones. The concomitance of osteoclastic and osteoblastic activities, scalloping, reactive bone formation area, anterior, and lateral ligaments ossification was observed and allowed us to perform a morphological STBS diagnosis. The subject presented here contributes to the literature related to the prevalence of tuberculosis in Italy during the last centuries. Moreover, we also focus our attention on some osteopathological criteria that can prove useful for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis.

A Severe Case of Biparietal Thinning in a Medieval Skull From a Northern Italy Necropolis

“…53,54 These changes can be caused by a variety of infectious, including tuberculosis, or noninfectious conditions, such as trauma, scurvy, and epidural hematomas. [55][56][57][58][59] On the other hand, there is often evidence of a correlation between biparietal thinning and senile or postmenopausal osteoporosis. 6,40,41 A combination of factors in our case seems to partly respond to some hypotheses regarding the etiology of biparietal thinning.…”

“…These changes can be caused by a variety of infectious, including tuberculosis, or noninfectious conditions, such as trauma, scurvy, and epidural hematomas 55–59 …”

Tourism in the Time of Coronavirus. Fruition of the “Minor Heritage” through the Development of Bioarchaeological Sites—A Proposal

“…C14 analysis allowed us to date the skeleton between the 18th and 20th centuries. Moreover, this skeleton presents the signs of a rare type of tuberculosis [45], reopening the debate on infectious diseases, nowadays a topic of great interest in the scientific community [46].…”

Infectious disease in asylums: a fact-finding investigation to prevent tuberculosis contagion in the early twentieth century in Italy

“…Consumption, phthisis, mal du siècle and white plague are some of them. This variety of names is probably due to the difficulties in a proper diagnosis of TB [ 2 ]. Indeed, the symptoms of the infection may significantly differ in subjects.…”