Arachnodactyly, a term used since 1902 to describe abnormally long (spider-like) fingers, is a pathologic feature of several heritable conditions, notably the Marfan syndrome and congenital contractural arachnodactyly. A number of prominent artists, dating from the 16th to the 20th centuries, have depicted subjects with unusually long fingers, sometime associated with elongation of the body, neck and head. El Greco incorporated this style in many paintings. Little evidence supports any subject in any of these paintings as having a congenital deformity.
Keywords: Arachnodactyly; Marfan syndrome; digits.
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