Severe skeletal lesions and loss of bone mass in a child associated with a case of spinal tuberculosis and prolonged immobilization

Summary

This paper describes the lesions identified in the skeletal remains of a 9 year-old girl who died of pulmonary tuberculosis in Lisbon, Portugal, in the 1940s. This individual is housed in the skeletal collection at the National Museum of Natural History and Science, Lisbon. These remains show a variety of lytic lesions on the ribs and thoracic vertebra, with complete destruction of the bodies and fusion of the vertebral arches of 4 vertebrae at a 60 angle. The individual was likely bedridden for a prolonged period, which is reflected by abnormal size and shape changes to the pelvis and leg, including loss of bone mass, stunting of the long bones, premature fusion of epiphyses, and bone erosion. This clinically diagnosed case is one of the few examples of confirmed juvenile skeletal tuberculosis prior to the antibiotic era. As such, it provides a reference for the skeletal modifications which may be expected in archaeological tuberculosis cases.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17137