Bone Changes in an Italian Ancient Human Skeleton--Possibly Caused by Leprosy

Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. In the last stage it can afflict the skeleton with a series of specific and non-specific bone changes. The possibility of studyingthe skeleton of an individual who lived in the pre-antibiotic era (Roman period) with skeletal changes in the rhino-maxillary region and hand and foot bones, permitted skeletal lesions to be analyzed directly. In addition, the localization and the complexity of the bony lesions could be attributed to the presence of leprosy. The importance of this approach was the possibility to verify the nature and typology of the primary and secondary bone changes in leprosy in absence of clinical therapy.