title: Did Michelangelo Have Gout?
abstract: Michelangelo, the great Renaissance artist, is often included on lists of celebrated gout patients. His letters describe a single acute attack of foot pain at the age of 80, but a case for early onset has been presented, based on a fresco by a contemporary artist, Raphael. A figure resembling Michelangelo at the age of 36 appears to have nodules resembling tophi over his knees.In this report, we review Michelangelo's medical history, discuss the proposal that he had tophaceous gout, and address the significance of "knobby" knees in his works and those of other artists.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pinals
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schlesinger
mesh_terms: D005197:Famous Persons; D006073:Gout / Q000266:history*; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history*