SO-CALLED rare diseases are not really that rare in terms of overall numbers - they're just classified as such due to a lower percentage of a population that may suffer from them.
But there are some that really are rare in the truest sense of the word, afflicting only a small handful of people worldwide.
Take congenital hypertrichosis lanuginosa - also known as human werewolf syndrome - which causes hair to grow all over a person's body, even on their face.
Or cotard's syndrome, which has been given the more affable term 'walking corpse syndrome' as it can cause sufferers to think parts of their body are missing or that they are dead, dying or never existed at all.
Among the more whimsical is Alice in Wonderland syndrome, which was coined in the 1950s by a British psychiatrist who had a patient believing he was shrinking to a miniature size.
Then there's the more creepy Alien Hand Syndrome, also known as Dr Strangelove Syndrome, as it makes sufferers feel like their hand or leg is not under their own control.
Among the more serious is Stoneman Syndrome, which is a genetic mutation causing bone to grow into areas it shouldn't, effectively turning people into human statues.
Ditto for trimethylaminuria, which is a hereditary condition that causes a build-up of the chemical that gives rotten fish and sea creatures that unique pulsatingly offputting stench.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 25 Oct 24
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