Earliest depiction of lymphedema in history 1700 to 1500 bc.

Lymphedema awareness has continued to increase, although its effects on the history of humans remain sparse. To date, the earliest depiction has been assigned to an image of the Queen of Punt on an ancient Egyptian image dated to circa 1479 to 1458 bc in the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, likely in the context of bilateral obesity-associated lymphedema.1Kimura E. The global programme to eliminate lymphatic filariasis: history and achievements with special reference to annual single-dose treatment with diethylcarbamazine in Samoa and Fiji.Trop Med Health. 2011; 39: 17-30Crossref PubMed Scopus (19) Google Scholar We have identified a depiction of lymphedema in the Bronze Age Minoan civilization in an earlier era of 1700 to 1500 bc at the Traostalos [Τραόσταλος] hilltop sanctuary (Fig).2Heraklion Archaeological MuseumTraostalos figurine.https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traostalos#/media/Datei:Traostalos_Fundstück_06.jpgGoogle Scholar The sculpture was rendered as a purposefully life-like disease presentation as a part of a religious prayer for healing a specific condition and probably derived from unilateral lymphedema, likely secondary to an infectious disease or cancer.3Dean S.M. Valenti E. Hock K. Leffler J. Compston A. Abraham W.T. The clinical characteristics of lower extremity lymphedema in 440 patients.J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2020; 8: 851-859Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (33) Google Scholar To the best of our knowledge, this is, to date, the earliest depiction of lymphedema and highlights the persistent nature of this life-changing disease on humans.