A probable case of gigantism in a fifth dynasty skeleton from the Western Cemetery at Giza, Egypt

Abstract

Pituitary gigantism is a rare endocrine disorder caused by excess secretion of growth hormone during childhood. Individuals with this condition exhibit unusually tall stature due to prolonged growth as well as associated degenerative changes. Continued secretion of excess growth hormone during adulthood results in acromegaly, a related condition that results in bony overgrowth of the skull, hands and feet. The remains of a large adult male, probably in his late 20s or early 30s, from a Fifth Dynasty tomb (2494-2345 BC) were excavated in 2001 from Cemetery 2500 in the Western Cemetery at Giza, Egypt, as part of the Howard University Giza Cemetery Project. This individual exhibits characteristics of pituitary gigantism, including tall but normally-proportioned stature, delayed epiphyseal union, a large sella turcica, advanced arthritis and a transepiphyseal fracture of the left femoral head. Additional pathological features, including osteopenia and thinness of the parietal bones, suggest that this individual may also have been hypogonadal. Craniometric comparisons with other ancient Egyptian groups as well as modern normal and acromegalic patients show some tendency toward acromegalic skull morphology. Differential diagnosis includes eunuchoid gigantism, Sotos syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Marfan syndrome, homocystinuria, Weaver syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome. In conclusion, the pathological features associated with this skeleton are more consistent with pituitary gigantism than any of the other syndromes that result in skeletal overgrowth. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.