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

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.