Strange Medical Conditions You Won’t Believe Are Real

Progeria

The rare genetic condition, progeria, also known as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, occurs early in a child’s life and causes their body to age quickly. Although they look healthy when they’re born, babies with progeria begin showing signs within their first year of life. Some of the symptoms include a bigger head, large eyes, loss of muscle and body fat, and hair loss. As the child ages, they may begin to get diseases expected of people over the age of fifty, including bone loss and heart disease.

This rare disease affects approximately one out of every four million, and those diagnosed are lucky to live past thirteen years old, often dying of heart attacks or strokes.

Now you know Benjamin Button could have existed! Keep reading to discover a strange condition that shrinks skin, muscle, and even bone.

Parry-Romberg Syndrome

Parry-Romberg syndrome is a rare disorder in which the skin, fat, soft tissues, muscle, and sometimes bone from half of the patient’s face progressively shrink, appearing to deteriorate. Often it will make the one side of their face appear sunken in, and in rare occurrences, the disease will affect both sides of their face. The severity of symptoms vary from patient to patient, sometimes causing abnormalities to their eyes, teeth, or neurological system.

Most patients diagnosed with Parry-Romberg syndrome encounter symptoms before they reach twenty years old. There is no exact known cause for the disease. However, there have been many theories linking it to viral infections, trauma, and inflammation of the brain and nervous systems.

Keep reading to discover what disease is through the looking-glass.