Tutankhamun and his brothers. Familial gynecomastia in the Eighteenth Dynasty

Ancestry and Pathology in King Tutankhamun's Family

“…[1][2][3][4] However, putative breasts in Tutankhamun and his father Akhenaten (KV55) cannot be determined, because KV55 is a mummified skeleton and Tutankhamun lacks the frontal part of the chest wall. The penis of Tutankhamun, which is no longer attached to the body, is well developed.…”

Genetics in the art and art in genetics

“…A variety of diagnoses have been suggested to explain Akhenaten's characteristics, reported as well by Hawass et al (2010), including: Marfan syndrome, Wilson-Turner X linked mental retardation syndrome, Fröhlich (adiposogenital dystrophy) syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, androgen insensitivity syndrome, aromatase excess syndrome in conjunction with sagittal craniosynostosis syndrome, or Antley-Bixler syndrome or a variant form of that syndrome or others (Braverman et al, 2009;Farag and Iskandar, 1998;François and Cilliers, 2011;Paulshock, 1980;Walshe, 1973). Furthermore, Akhenaten's appearance could result from classical homocystinuria due to deficit of cystathionine beta-synthase characterized by the involvement of the eyes, skeleton, nervous system, and vascular system suggested by Cavka et al (2010).…”

Myotonic Dystrophy in Ancient Egypt

“…The extremely long and thin neck reminds one of ‘a swan’s neck’ [1]. Observing the trunk, we see gynecomastia [3], a prominent abdomen and large and drooping hips with a shape resembling an amphora, as shown by a famous statue, called ‘asexual colossus’ (fig. 2) showing Akhenaton nude and practically without genitals.…”

“…Some now consider Akhenaton a fanatic ‘who was a political disaster as a ruler’ [3]. Hostility, unreliability and psychotic behaviour are described in cases of MD [6].…”

“…According to a study by Paulshock [3], some pharaohs of this family seem to have been affected by gynecomastia, that, although not common, is a feature of MD [7]. …”