RESUMO
Among ancient fanciful creatures, men without a head have often been represented since the end of the Middle-ages, especially during the Renaissance and until the 18th century. They are probably inspired from new-born anencephalic infants.
Assuntos
Anencefalia/história , Mitologia , História do Século XV , História do Século XVI , História do Século XVII , História do Século XVIII , História do Século XIX , História Antiga , História MedievalRESUMO
The Clubfoot painted by José de Ribera depicts a young beggar affected by a typical equinus clubfoot. He shows a contorted right hand and wrist. His left hand holds a begging note, suggesting some difficulty to speak. This condition may be caused by a cerebral palsy, consisting of a brain injury in the left hemisphere responsible for right hemiplegia and speech disturbance. Recently, it was suggested that the boy's condition is a consequence of arthrogryposis, perhaps amyoplasia or distal arthrogryposis type A1. Some clinical features may suggest the diagnosis of Sheldon-Hall syndrome. Considering all the signs represented on the painting, the diagnosis of hemiplegia due to cerebral palsy cannot be discarded. The present article is a novel analysis of the painting based on previously proposed diagnoses of the boy's condition, namely, hemiplegia and arthrogryposis.