In Greek mythology, a beautiful naiad nymph named Daphne captured the eye of Apollo, the
God of light.
Apollo made many advances towards Daphne, but she rejected him multiple times.
Still, like a guy wearing a fedora on a mission, he wouldn’t give up.
He chased after her, which pushed Daphne to cry to her father, the river god, for help.
In response, the river god used the power of metamorphosis to turn Daphne into a tree.
It is believed that this bodily sacrifice was the only way Daphne could escape Apollo’s
aggressive advances.
Though this is a story based on classic myth, it is not that far beyond truth.
Indeed, there are cases in real life in which people can turn into trees.
We’re talking about an extremely rare condition known as Tree Man Syndrome, which actually
turns people into living, breathing pieces of bark!
Tree Man Syndrome is a crude term given to a disease otherwise known as Epidermodysplasia
Verruciformis.
This condition is not to be confused with Stone Man Syndrome, though we do have a separate
episode about that if you want to check it out.
Rather, Tree Man Syndrome is a disease with a very bizarre symptom- the development of
bark-like growths stemming from mostly the hands and feet of a person’s body, not the
full body like Apollo’s Daphne.
The disease is a recessive inherited skin disorder caused by an infection of human papillomavirus,
or HPV.
HPV has numerous subtypes that tend to cause different kinds of viral warts and Tree Man
Syndrome stems from one of these subtypes.
In most people with the virus, there may be minimal effect.
But for those with an impaired immune response to HPV, the development of bark-like warts
may occur.
That’s right, the tree-like branches stemming from the hands and feet are actually warts!
Obviously, they’re not the typical kind of warts that you may commonly see, but, rather,
a unique type of wart that is incredibly rare.
So, who tends to get the disease?
Well, as we just mentioned, Tree Man Syndrome is a recessive inherited disorder.
What this basically means is that the sufferer gained an abnormal Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis,
or EV gene, from both biological, blood-relative parents, which causes a defect in the immune
system, increasing one’s susceptibility to HPV.
The EV gene can also often be caused by a mutation on chromosome 17.
This particular mutation damages a cell’s capacity to fight off HPV infections.
The tree-like lesions usually begin to form and appear during childhood, persisting into
adulthood.
It is estimated that about 7.5% of cases first appear in infancy, 61.5% emerge in children
around the ages of 5 through 11, and 22.5% of cases start during puberty.
It is a disease that impacts both males and females from people of all races and backgrounds.
Though mainly genetic, EV can be acquired.
Acquired EV tends to occur from HIV infection, organ transplantation or a lymphoma.
Though it is contagious, this lifelong disease only expresses itself in people whose bodies
can’t fight it off.
For those who do get it, the warts can be incredibly painful, and the worst part is
that there’s no cure for it.
Surgery has been used in cases in the past to remove the lesions and it can be successful,
but it offers only a temporary solution to the problem.
This is because the bark-like lesions tend to grow back.
If you’re getting paranoid now about catching the disease, allow us to reassure you by reaffirming
just how rare the condition really is.
Whereas Stone Man Syndrome occurs in about 1 in every 2 million people worldwide, Tree
Man Syndrome is far less prevalent.
Scientists don’t know the exact number of cases.
But, according to ABC news as of January 2019, the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information
Center, otherwise known as GARD, estimates that there are only about 200 reported cases
of Tree Man Syndrome worldwide.
Now that’s a very small number.
Thus, you can rest assured that your odds of having it or acquiring the disease are
very slim.
Not convinced?
Allow us to add some perspective on the situation.
Considering that there are around 7.7 billion people on the planet with only a rough estimate
of 200 reported cases of those with the condition, you have greater odds of being attacked by
a shark than developing Tree Man Syndrome.
The odds of getting attacked by a shark in your lifetime, by the way, are roughly 1 in
3 to 4 million.
You are also more likely to die from fireworks, be struck by lightning, or see your grandma
naked – oh, the horror!
That last one may be the worst.
You clearly would not want to be one of the very few unfortunate people to get Tree Man
Syndrome.
It is one impediment that can be incredibly frustrating and awful to contend with.
One well known case of Tree Man Syndrome comes from a 28-year-old Bangladeshi man.
He had multiple operations in 2016 and had to return for more surgery in early 2019.
As you may imagine, the disease can be extremely burdensome.
With the condition, the man could not perform simple tasks and needed help eating, drinking
and taking a shower.
Imagine trying to play video games or trying to hold the leash to take your dog for a walk
when you have branches for hands.
With this in mind, the man was quoted by CNN saying, “I want to live like a normal person.
I just want to be able to hold my daughter properly and hug her.”
He had at least 16 surgical procedures in the past to remove growths, some that weighed
as much as 11 pounds!
It may not seem like much but try carrying that amount of weight around with you when
the coach tells you to run a lap around the track during gym class.
Then tell us how you feel afterwards.
The first known female case of Tree Man Syndrome came from 10-year-old Sahana Khatun reported
in 2017, another sufferer from Bangladesh.
She also went through surgery to remove the bark-like growths from her chin, ear and nose.
Thankfully, doctors are optimistic that the warts won’t regrow.
This is believed to be because Khatun was in the very early stages of the disease when
she had the surgery.
Obviously, she and her father were delighted by the news that further surgeries may not
be necessary for the young girl.
You may have seen this condition shown in popular culture as topics of interest in TV
shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Nip/Tuck.
References in media have helped spread awareness about this rare, mysterious disease while
expressing the difficulty that these sufferers have to endure.
Activities like finding a good position to sleep in, walking, and even simply just moving
properly are made all the more challenging when you have branches for hands.
Think of Edward Scissor Hands except far less dangerous because at least you’re not walking
around with hands possessing sharp, pointy tips.
Still, individuals suffering with the disease also have to deal with the incredibly heavy
toll taken on their mental health and wellbeing.
Consider the negative stigma associated with the disease.
People who have it probably have to live with the awareness of their difference every day,
witnessing the shocked and horrified faces of people walking by.
It is enough to make anyone feel out of place and ashamed.
With heightened awareness of the disease through media comes the interest to explore more scientific
research related to this and other rare diseases.
Even though it is only impacting a very small portion of the population, it is important
to consider the quality of life for those who are unfortunate enough to have it.
After all, if it were you, you’d probably want scientists working to find a solution
for you too.
Research into rare diseases like Tree Man Syndrome can also help further our overall
understanding of biological and chemical mechanisms while improving medical advances for other
genetic disorders.
As quoted in the Rare Disease Review, “a cure for an individual helps us understand
the cure for many more.”
What would you do if you suddenly had Tree Man Syndrome?
Tell us in the comments!
Now to make yourself even more worried about terrible things that can happen to the body
go watch What Is Stone Man Syndrome?!
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