Leprosy in the 10th–13th century AD in Eastern Hungary

In the examination of the skeletons of past human populations, the various aspects of the pathological changes provide useful information about their living circumstances and may be indicators of their health conditions. The purpose of this study is two-fold: firstly, to review the published cases of the osseous leprosy in Eastern Hungary, and secondly, to present a new case dated to the 10–13th century of a region of present-day Eastern Hungary. In this region 8 cases have already been published from the 10–12th centuries. The new case of osseous leprosy (HajdúdorogSzállásföldek) – from the 12–13th centuries – is housed at the Jósa András Múzeum in Nyíregyháza. The paleopathological investigation was carried out using macroscopic observation and the isolation and analysis of DNA for the detection of Mycobacterium leprae was carried out in London. The bone changes were manifested in the skull