A young man born with one huge arm says strangers in the street are scared of him and walk away on the street.
Malik Aftab, 26, from Ghazipur, in Uttar Pradesh, India, says doctors are puzzled by what could have caused it.
Jam Press/Rare Shot NewsMalik Aftab says strangers in the street are scared of him and walk away on the street[/caption]
Jam Press Vid/Rare Shot NewsHe says doctors are puzzled by what could have caused his huge right arm[/caption]
His right arm is not in proportion with the rest of his body and now weighs a staggering 9kg — the same weight as three bricks.
He said: “Many people notice me but they turn a blind eye or walk far away from me.
“Some people are afraid of me and some love me.”
While Malik’s condition has not been officially diagnosed, similar deformities can be caused by Proteus syndrome.
The rare condition — that has only been reported 200 times in the medical literature — causes the overgrowth of bones, skin and other tissues, particularly in limbs.
Scientists are not sure what is behind the condition but believe it may be genetic.
It can cause a wide variety of serious complications, including cancer, blood vessels not forming properly and lung disease.
Researchers believe that Joseph Merrick, whose life was the subject of the play and movie The Elephant Man, had Proteus syndrome.
Symptoms vary from person to person and usually begin when a baby is six to 18 months old.
Overgrowth is irregular and disproportionate, often only affecting one side of the body.
Malik has a deformed right hand and visited several doctors when he was little.
But the student says his family can no longer afford necessary treatment for his large limb.
The strain causes him lots of pain and makes him tired.
Malik also revealed that strangers walk away from him when they notice his huge arm.
But he has embraced it and has become a social media star with 194,000 followers on Instagram.
Jam Press/Rare Shot NewsMalik says his family can no longer afford necessary treatment for his large limb[/caption]
Jam Press/Rare Shot NewsHe says the strain of the arm causes him lots of pain and makes him tired[/caption]
What is Proteus syndrome?
Proteus syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by overgrowth of various tissues of the body.
The cause of the disorder is a mosaic variant in a gene called AKT1.
Disproportionate, asymmetric overgrowth occurs in a random “patchy” pattern of affected and unaffected areas.
Affected individuals may experience a wide variety of complications that may include progressive skeletal malformations, benign and malignant tumors, malformations of blood vessels, cystic pulmonary disease and certain skin lesions.
In some people, life-threatening conditions relating to abnormal blood clotting may develop including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.