Muktamoni a 12-year-old girl from Bangladesh is suffering a rare and painful skin condition that makes her skin grow like the bark of a tree.
Her upper body, the right side mainly, is turning brown and hardening to resemble a tree. Reports have it that the upper part of her body has the tree-man disease. The right side of the child’s chest has stretched down to her hand and has become large and discolored.
The hand which is infested with parasitic warms appears to be growing and curling up at the end. She suffers incredible pain in the affected arm and, coupled with the fact that the hand curls at the end, she is unable to do anything with it.
Doctors say that the disease has spread through her entire body.
She is currently receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Her father, Ibrahim said it all started as a small boil on her right hand few years back then it spread.
He said to India Today: “There was a small boil in Mukta’s right hand three years ago which gradually spread to the entire arm and resulted in the swelling of the arm making it look like a tangled tree. From the hand, it is now moving towards her body slowly.
In the last nine years, I have got her treated at different places. Seeing no progress, I have come to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. I beg blessings from all for my daughter’s recovery.”
Mukta was admitted at the Burn and Plastic Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital where a team of eight doctors has been formed for her treatment.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken the responsibility of Mukta’s treatment.
Dr Samantalal Sen, chief of Burn and Plastic Unit, said “At this stage, it is difficult to say what kind of disease it is. Initially, we were thinking it a skin disease of some order. Could be anything from Pharmalvascular malformation, Limphotic malformation, Neorophibrometosis and Congenital hyper Caratosis. Her physical condition is not suitable for operation as of now.
In order to be operated, she will have to stay here for 7-10 day and after that, we shall think of surgery.
