Elephants face As a result of Proteus Syndrome

Each person would want to be born with a normal body and face. But Proteus syndrome disease can make a person's face swell like a beast of an elephant.

One of the people with this syndrome is the most famous is Joseph Merrick, known by the nickname "Elephant Man or Elephant Man 'who lived in 1862-1890. When two years old, his mother noticed a few areas in the skin began to change.

Growth of dark-colored skin and began to look bumpy and rough. Also starts a lump in the neck, chest and the back of his head.

When growing up, he began to look even odder. The right side of his head began to grow excessive and so was his right arm and hand.

At age 12, his hands like a defective and unusable. Growth in the skin was getting bigger and looks disgusting.

For years he suffered mockery of society and often become a freak show. His face was distorted by the abnormal growth began at half the head. And the flesh around his nose began to grow, this is the condition which earned him the title 'The Elephant Man'.

Sometimes he wants to be someone else, like to lie down or sleep in a supine position. It can not be done because he has the size and the weight of the head so he had to sleep sitting up.

Joseph Merrick was eventually found dead in bed in a supine position at the age of 28 years in 1890.

As quoted from Raredisease.about.com, Friday (17/09/2010) This condition called Proteus syndrome, which is a rare hereditary disorder characterized by multiple lesions in the lymph nodes (lipolymphohemangiomas). Then there is an overgrowth of one side of the body (hemihypertrophy), have abnormally large head (macrocephaly), gigantism in most of the foot and the presence of the dark or moles (nevi) on the skin.

Conditions that occur in the Merrick-based skeletons and almost have all of the disorder. Although some people only marked by one or several disorders.

Porteus the cause of the syndrome is still unknown, because the absence of specific gene mutations can be identified. However, defects that may occur as a result of somatic mutations that turn off certain areas and affect receptors in the body, causing tissue growth.

This syndrome causes postnatal overgrowth in some tissues. Various complications may arise due to this syndrome.

Syndrome that often happens is that the tumors in the genital tract, such as ovarian cystadenomas can occur within the first twenty years of his life. Therefore the male genital tract and women who suffer porteus syndrome need to be examined.

Until now no drug that can cure this syndrome. Most treatments only to reduce the effects of disturbances that arise.

While sometimes the process of tumor removal is not recommended because these tumors usually grow back. It also required psychological counseling to help children confront his condition.