Abstract
The famous Brazilian Baroque sculptor named Antônio Francisco Lisboa, known as "Aleijadinho" (1738-1814), suffered from a deforming disease of the lower and upper limbs. The condition was characterized by atrophy, paresis and amputation. His face was also affected, with inflammation of the eyelids, deviation of the labial commissure, drooping of the chin and lower lip, giving him a sinister expression. Despite the disabling and chronic illness, he produced several works of great expression in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some of them were declared World Heritage Sites by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). To discuss the historical differential diagnosis of Aleijadinho's disease through a narrative review of the literature. Scientific articles were searched in databases such as Google Scholar, Pubmed and Lilacs using the term "Aleijadinho". Subsequently, data were collected in articles and books about the possible diseases of the sculptor. Since the first clinical report on the sculptor, several historians and doctors have attempted to establish a diagnosis and several hypotheses have been proposed such as: syphilis, yaws (frambesia tropica), rheumatoid arthritis, Hansen's disease (leprosy), thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger disease), zamparina, cardina, porphyria cutanea tarda, stroke, amyloidosis, trauma and/or scurvy. Based on the literature, the authors conclude that the most likely diagnosis of Aleijadinho's disease is consistent with leprosy.
Highlights
Leprosy is an infectious disease prevalent in the tropics, caused by the Mycobacterium leprae, and affecting mainly the skin and peripheral nerves
51 articles and 25 books were excluded because the information was repeated or unrelated to Aleijadinho’s disease
We evaluate the conditions suggested in the six articles in this review
Summary
Leprosy is an infectious disease prevalent in the tropics, caused by the Mycobacterium leprae, and affecting mainly the skin and peripheral nerves. In 1777, at the age of 39, Antônio Francisco Lisboa fell victim to the disease that deformed him[1] He learned how to live with the physical pain that the disease caused, and with the prejudice and distrust of those who already considered him an inferior human being just because he was a halfbreed. Despite the difficulties, he managed to reinvent himself several times, as his illness progressed, so that over the years the artist had to relearn how to use the instruments 1. Conclusions: Based on the literature, the authors conclude that the most likely diagnosis of Aleijadinho’s disease is consistent with leprosy
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