The first probable case with tuberculous meningitis from the Hun period of the Carpathian Basin – How diagnostics development can contribute to increase knowledge and understanding of the spatio-temporal distribution of tuberculosis in the past

Abstract

The aim of our paper is to demonstrate and discuss in detail the endocranial bony changes suggestive of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) that were recorded in an adult female's (SPF15) skeleton. The bone remains were uncovered from a solitary grave from the Hun period (5th-century-CE) archaeological site of Solt–Polya-fok (Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary). During the macromorphological examination of the very incomplete and poorly preserved skeleton of SPF15, the inner surface of the skull displayed abnormally pronounced digital impressions (APDIs) and granular impressions (GIs). Recently, it was confirmed that endocranial GIs can be considered as specific signs of TBM; and thus, they are sufficient enough on their own to make a definitive diagnosis of the disease in the palaeopathological practice. On the other hand, APDIs are not specific to TBM but can be tuberculous in origin; their concomitant presence with GIs in SPF15 makes their tuberculous origin very likely. Based on the above, it seems that the adult female from the 5th-century-CE archaeological site of Solt–Polya-fok suffered from TBM. SPF15 is the first reported probable case with tuberculosis (TB) from the Hun period of the present-day territory of Hungary, who gives us invaluable information about the spatio-temporal distribution of the disease in the past. Furthermore, it highlights the paramount importance of diagnostics development, especially the identification and refinement of diagnostic criteria, as without the application of APDIs and GIs, the diagnosis of TB could not have been established in SPF15.