Augusto Bonome and his revolutionary studies on leprosy in the early 20th century

Abstract

Background: Augusto Bonome (1857–1922), professor at the University of Padua until 1922, was involved in a study about a particular kind of pulmonary leprosy, being the first to testify the lepromatous alterations also in the deepest parts of the respiratory tract, even though the same Gerhard Hansen (1841–1912) had denied the possibility that lungs could host Mycobacterium leprae. Objectives: It is necessary to reevaluate the research done by Bonome to also demonstrate how it can still be relevant today in further comprehension of leprosy. Methods: Bonome's advances in leprosy studies are testified by some specimens from the Morgagni Museum of Pathological Anatomy of the University of Padua. Among the specimens, there is a peculiar case of advanced tuberous leprosy in an adolescent, who died in 1908, of which the face, the larynx, the hands and genitals are still preserved today in the Museum. Results: Through autoptic and histological analysis of this specimen, Bonome succeeded in identifying a peculiar case of bone toxoid-infectious dystrophy besides characteristic leprous laryngitis, which caused the death of the young leprosy patient. Conclusions: The results confirmed the innovative research carried on by Bonome during his medical career, being among the first to offer an important contribution to improving and revolutionary knowledge on leprosy which could still be useful today.