Historical Clinicopathological Conference 2019: Francis of Assisi
Other Titles
Historical Clinicopathological Conference: The Wages of Apostolic PovertyDescription
The death of Francis of Assisi was the focus of the 2019 conference. At age 19 he spent a year of captivity in a subterranean cell after a neighboring city captured him during battle. This resulted in lifelong chronic gastritis and intermittent episodes of chills and fever. Upon release from imprisonment, he lived his life rejecting possessions, fasted often, ate mainly raw fruits and vegetables, and only allowed himself small amounts of water. He also ministered and performed acts of charity which included washing lepers. In his late 30s, he experienced severe eye pain and oozing coupled with fever, a swollen abdomen, sores, and ulcers. Ineffective treatments performed included applying hot irons inside the ears. He succumbed to his disease on October 3, 1226. Brief biographies of the authors appear at the end of the program document.Presenter's Diagnosis: Leprosy