Malaria, bone diseases killed King Tut

TUBINGEN, Germany, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Egypt's King Tutankhamun likely died from malaria and a degenerative bone disease, a German study has found.

Researchers at the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Tubingen reported Tuesday the boy king likely did not suffer from gynecomastia, the excessive development of breasts in men resulting from a hormonal imbalance, despite the pictorials found in his tomb, The New York Times reported.

The results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, are part of a study of a number of mummies, all of whom suffered from a number of deformities, including club foot, cleft palate and deformed bones.

The study found no evidence of foul play or such diseases as Marfan syndrome.

King Tut, known as the boy king, died at age 19 around 1324 B.C. The study found he suffered from Kohler disease II, along with avascular bone necrosis, which leads to serious weakening or destruction of bone tissue because of diminished blood supply. The researchers concluded the conditions coupled with the most virulent form of malaria likely were the cause of death, the Times said.

The findings are to be aired on the Discovery Channel.