A man has shared his experience of living with Kallmann Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that some speculate Adolf Hitler may have had.
A recent documentary investigating the dictator’s genetic makeup suggested that Hitler may have suffered from Kallmann Syndrome. He ended his life with a gunshot after realizing that Germany had been defeated in World War II.
At the time of his death, Hitler was in a Berlin bunker. Following his demise, his body was reportedly partially incinerated, yet blood samples were collected from a couch at the scene of his suicide.
Testing of these samples indicated the possibility of Hitler having Kallmann Syndrome, a condition that disrupts hormone production necessary for sexual development and can also diminish the sense of smell.
For men with this syndrome, they might experience developmental issues like having a smaller penis and testicles. Occasionally, this can result in a micropenis, where the adult penis measures less than three inches.
Following these revelations, a man currently living with Kallmann Syndrome has shared his personal account of managing the condition.
Neil Smith explained to Metro: “I didn’t get the muscle or hair growth, if you see my graduation photograph, I still look about 15. I knew I wasn’t developing, but I assumed it’d happen at some stage.”
Neil, now 55, mentioned that he has a smaller than average penis, about four inches in length.
He continued: “Most people with my condition look completely normal and the micropenis and undescended testicles aren’t a hallmark of our condition – it’s down to your genetics and how severe your syndrome is.”
Commenting on the speculation about Hitler, Neil, a biomedical scientist, noted: “We should be looking at whether Hitler had a sense of smell because that’s the main symptom.”
He added that the media coverage has been alarming and exaggerated: “I’ve been talking to other people with Kallmann’s syndrome who are worried and annoyed their condition is seen as just [having a micropenis] – it’s not like that for everyone.”
Neil was born without the ability to smell, a condition he generally accepts, though it results in him experiencing food poisoning annually.
Regarding this, he shared: “It’s tricky with food – I get very bad food poisoning at least once a year, because I can’t smell if the milk has gone off. I can’t smell burning if I leave the oven on, either.”