Neurology in ancient faces

Background-Clinical paleoneurology is almost non-existent, but recognition of neurological diseases in ancient people might be possible by scrutinisin g portraits apparently representing people as they appeared in life. Methods-About 200 mummy portraits painted in colour at the beginning of the first millennium were examined. Thirty two skulls excavated at Hawara in t he Fayum (northern Egypt), where most of the portraits were found were meas ured, and nine caliper measures on each side of the skulls were taken. The right/left ratios were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOV A). One skull was subjected to 3D CT scanning and transilluminated. Results-Two patients were found with progressive facial hemiatrophy (Parry- Romberg syndrome), three with deviations of the visual axes (tropia) and on e with oval pupils (corectopia). Conclusions-Cinical paleoneurology is possible in the absence of a living n ervous system. The patients probably had focal epilepsy, hemiplegic migrain e, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction.