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Arachnodactyly represented in art.

Reed E Pyeritz1

  • 1Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part C, Seminars in Medical Genetics
|May 22, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Arachnodactyly, or long spider-like fingers, is a feature of heritable conditions like Marfan syndrome. Historical artworks show elongated fingers, but evidence for congenital deformities in these subjects is lacking.

Keywords:
ArachnodactylyMarfan syndromedigits

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Genetics
  • Art History
  • Clinical Pathology

Background:

  • Arachnodactyly, characterized by abnormally long fingers, has been recognized since 1902.
  • This feature is pathognomonic in several heritable connective tissue disorders, including Marfan syndrome and congenital contractural arachnodactyly.
  • Artistic representations from the 16th to 20th centuries occasionally depict subjects with elongated digits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the historical artistic depictions of arachnodactyly.
  • To assess the potential association between artistic conventions and congenital deformities.

Main Methods:

  • Review of artworks by prominent artists, including El Greco, from the 16th to 20th centuries.
  • Analysis of depicted physical characteristics, specifically finger length and overall body proportions.
  • Correlation of artistic portrayals with known clinical features of heritable conditions causing arachnodactyly.

Main Results:

  • Several historical artworks feature subjects with notably long, slender fingers.
  • Associated features like bodily, neck, and head elongation were sometimes depicted.
  • No substantial evidence was found to support that these artistic representations depicted individuals with actual congenital deformities.

Conclusions:

  • While historical art showcases elongated fingers, it does not confirm the presence of congenital deformities like arachnodactyly.
  • Artistic license and stylistic choices likely explain these depictions more than pathological conditions.
  • Further investigation is needed to definitively link artistic portrayals to specific medical conditions.