‘Tree-man’ syndrome where incurable condition causes agony and bark-like growths

‘Tree man syndrome’ is an incredibly rare, and painful, condition where the sufferers will see their hands and feet transformed into ‘bark-like’ lesions which can spread

A man has been dubbed a “tree man” after a terrifying and rare condition started making his hands and feet resemble bark. In most cases, the only treatment for the disease dubbed “tree man syndrome” is amputation.

Known as epidermodysplasia verruciformis, the illness causes incurable skin growths and only affects a handful of people around the world. According to the Daily Mail, the growths are triggered by a defect in the immune system that increases the person’s chances of contracting human papillomavirus (HPV).

Michigan-based plastic surgeon Dr Anthony Youn explained that the syndrome is incredibly painful. “This is a very rare condition, typically inherited by both parents,” he said in a YouTube video.

He added: “People with this condition have a weakness dealing with HPV, the same virus that causes genital warts.

“It usually presents in the person’s 20s. The person is also immunocompromised so they are more likely to pick up other illnesses. These growths can also become cancerous if left untreated.”

Mahmoud Taluli, 44, from Gaza, is one of the few people in the world to be diagnosed with the condition. The patient had been unable to use his hands for more than a decade, suffering with thousands of painful lesions all over his body.

In 2019 Taluli underwent a series of surgeries to get the bark-like lesions removed. Doctors at Jerusalem’s Hadassah University Medical Centre expertly grafted skin from other parts of his body to mask the wounds after the tree lesions were removed.

So far, the surgery is proving successful, with Taluli insisting it has “changed his life”, meaning he can finally play with his children.

Speaking to the Jewish Press, Taluli’s surgeon said: “Aside from the pain, the disease is very dangerous and could easily develop into cancer. Taluli eventually couldn’t move the hand. He had become withdrawn and fearful of any possible situation that could cause him to show the hand to other people.

“He kept the hand covered all the time and life was very hard for him.”

But not everyone has been as lucky as Taluli. Since 2016, Abul Bajandar, 28, has needed 25 operations to remove the growths on his hands and feet caused by the condition.

He was dubbed Bangladesh’s “tree man” and was forced to beg doctors to relieve him of his unbearable pain and amputate his hands which were covered in the bark-like growths.