9. Tree Man Syndrome

No, these people aren’t really turning into trees, but the reality is almost as scary. The official name for this condition is Epidermodysplasia verruciformis, but it is more commonly known as tree man syndrome due to the bark like appearance of the lesions it causes. People with this condition have skin that constantly produces scaly papules due to a hypersensitivity to HVP infections. These infections are present in 80% of all humans but our immune systems deal with them easily with no symptoms.

A Romanian man who had been suffering with the disease was featured on a discovery channel show; he had 13 lb of warts removed from his body including massive ‘horns’ which had grown on his hands. The warts began to grow back soon after and the poor guy will need 2 operations a year to keep the disease at bay.