Mona Lisa

The painting Mona Lisa in the Louvre, Paris, by Leonardo da Vinci (1503-1506), shows skin alterations at the inner end of the left upper eyelid similar to xanthelasma, and a swelling of the dorsum of the right hand suggestive of a subcutaneous lipoma. These findings in a 25-30 year old woman, who died at the age of 37, may be indicative of essential hyperlipidemia, a strong risk factor for ischemic heart disease in middle age.

Read 'Xanthelasma and lipoma in Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa' by Dequeker J, Muls E, Leenders K in sr Med Assoc J. 2004 Aug;6(8):505-6.