Weird Diseases: Things You Can’t Imagine

The world is full of strange things, and the human body is no exception. There are a lot of odd diseases and disorders that exist that you’ve probably never even heard of!

“Stone Man Syndrome”

“Stone Man Syndrome” is a genetic disorder that causes soft tissue to turn to bone over time. It is caused by the ACVR1 gene of the bones, tendons, muscles, and  ligaments that regulates growth of those tissues, and is responsible for turning cartilage into bone as infants grow. If the gene mutates abnormally it can cause skeletal muscles to turn to bone and joints to fuse together. This occurs in 1 in 2 million people, and at this time there are no treatments or cures. Any attempts at surgery just results in producing even more bone in the affected areas.

“Walking Corpse Syndrome”

Also known as Cotard’s Delusion, this rare mental disorder causes the sufferer to believe he or she is missing body parts or is actually dead. It’s also been connected with dysfunction in the areas of the brain responsible for facial recognition and emotion. This can cause complete emotional detachment and removes the sense of personal identity when looking at themselves. It can be treated with certain medications.

“Tree Man Syndrome”

Tree Man Syndrome causes warts that appear similar to tree bark to grow on the skin. They are caused by a rare mutation that cause the skin to be extremely susceptible to human papillomaviruses 5 and 8 that normally don’t cause disease. There are some treatment options available, but no permanent cure.

“Elephantiasis”

Elephantiasis is blockage of lymphatic vessels that causes extreme swelling of tissues, typically in the legs. This can be brought on in several ways, but a mosquito borne parasite is the most common cause. There have been 40 million known cases of the disease, and if caught early there are medications available to kill the parasite.