A paleopathological study was carried out on the skeletal remains of Cardinal Carlo de’ Medici (1595-1666), son of the Grand Duke Ferdinando I, to investigate the articular pathology described in the archival sources. The skeletal remains, buried in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, have been exhumed and submitted to macroscopic and radiologic examination, revealing a concentration of different severe pathologies. These include Klippel-Feil syndrome, cervical spine tuberculosis (Pott’s disease), from which Carlo suffered in his infancy, and a post-cranial ankylosing disease, symmetrical and extremely severe, involving the large and small articulations, and characterized by massive joint fusion, that totally disabled the Cardinal in his last years of life. The final diagnosis of this latter polyarthritis suggests an advanced, ankylosingm stage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), rather than a psoriasic arthritis (PsA).Molecular analysis was performed to seek “risk factor” genes HLA-related to RA or PsA.
Genetic susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis in Cardinal Carlo De’ Medici
GIUFFRA, VALENTINA;FORNACIARI A;CARAMELLA, DAVIDE;FORNACIARI, GINO
2011-01-01
Abstract
A paleopathological study was carried out on the skeletal remains of Cardinal Carlo de’ Medici (1595-1666), son of the Grand Duke Ferdinando I, to investigate the articular pathology described in the archival sources. The skeletal remains, buried in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, have been exhumed and submitted to macroscopic and radiologic examination, revealing a concentration of different severe pathologies. These include Klippel-Feil syndrome, cervical spine tuberculosis (Pott’s disease), from which Carlo suffered in his infancy, and a post-cranial ankylosing disease, symmetrical and extremely severe, involving the large and small articulations, and characterized by massive joint fusion, that totally disabled the Cardinal in his last years of life. The final diagnosis of this latter polyarthritis suggests an advanced, ankylosingm stage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), rather than a psoriasic arthritis (PsA).Molecular analysis was performed to seek “risk factor” genes HLA-related to RA or PsA.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
