Proteus Syndrome
The Proteus syndrome, a condition in which diverse types of tissue — bones, skin, but sometimes organ or artery tissue — develop disproportionately, is one of the oddest unusual diseases known to date. Although it is not genetically inherited, this disorder has genetic causes. Rather, it is caused by a mutation in the AKT1 gene that happens at random in the womb. Tissue overgrowth normally emerges between the ages of 6 and 18 months, therefore there may be no apparent indications of Proteus syndrome at birth. With the passage of time, the problem worsens. Intellectual incapacity, poor eyesight, seizures, noncancerous tumours, and deep venous thrombosis, a disorder defined by the abnormal production of blood clots, are all possible side effects of the syndrome. In 19th-century history, the most famous case of Proteus syndrome was that of Joseph Carey Merrick (1862-1890), who was mercilessly dubbed "the Elephant Man."
