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The 'tree boy' of Bangladesh: Heartbreaking pictures show seven-year-old with a rare condition which covers his skin in scaly warts that makes them look like roots

*Ripon Sarker, 7, has epidermodysplasia verruciformis, causing susceptibility to human papillomavirus
*This rare condition causes scaly warts to grow and has left the Bangladeshi boy unable to eat or walk

*Doctors say his family is extremely poor and he lacks proper nutrition, hampering physical development

"But doctors at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital are hopeful as his case is not as bad as Abul Bajandar

"Dubbed the 'tree man', Bajandar's warts were so bad doctors couldn't distinguish them from his fingers


A rare condition is turning a seven-year-old boy's hands and feet into trees.

Ripon Sarker from Thakurgaon, Bangladesh suffers from the condition epidermodysplasia verruciformis, which causes abnormal susceptibility to human papillomavirus - causing the growth of scaly warts.

The young boy was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on August 20 for treatment for the first time, as his family couldn't afford it.


His father Mahendra Das said: 'They haven't carried out tests on him. Physicians say they will look into this matter before treatment.'

Poor Ripon cannot walk or eat by himself because of his tree-like hands and feet.

Thankfully, doctors have said they are hopeful that his hands and feet are operable as his fingers and toes and can still be identified.


Ripon's symptoms match the ones of 26-year-old Abul Bajandar - dubbed 'tree man', who also has the same condition and was recently operated at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Ripon is a class II student of Ketgaon Government Primary School, was affected when he was only three months old, his father said.

Warts began to develop on his palm and foot, which are getting larger, Mohendra said.


Burn and plastic surgery unit coordinator Samanta Lal Sen said: 'We are hopeful about the child's situation. In Abul's case, we couldn't distinguish the warts from his fingers.

'Ripon's warts have not expanded to that extent yet.

'He can indentify his fingers and toes. We might be able to treat him with fewer operations.'


The physician went on to explain that the child's family is extremely poor.

He said: 'That's why he lacks proper nutrition.

'His physical development has been hampered as well.

'We need to give him proper nutrition before the operations begin.

'He might require blood as well.'

donbenedict:
There are diseases worse Dan HIV..



This is just definitely one of them.

frenchwine:
Bross you know wetin you dey talk so?

donbenedict:
why not get infected by this...then after u will ask me this question

frenchwine:
have you been infected with HIV?
What ur saying is akin to describing chills(which is just a part of the malaria complex) as worse than malaria .
HPV is an AIDS defining illness.
Why am I even wasting my time, I'm talking to a lay man

lofty900:
I was expecting to see leaves since the topic says the hand turned to trees

360frolic:
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3753343/The-tree-boy-Bangladesh-Heartbreaking-pictures-seven-year-old-rare-condition-covers-skin-scaly-warts-makes-look-like-roots.html