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AN 8-year-old Indian boy has left doctors baffled after his hands swelled to giant proportions and now weigh more than two stone.
Young Kaleem, from India, is unable to carry out simple tasks, including tying his own shoe laces, after he was born with hands twice the size of an average baby.
His mother Haleema, 27, said she knew he was different at birth but was powerless to help and the boy’s hands have now grown so large they measure 33 cm from the base of his palm to the end of his middle finger.
The boy said he has been bullied and shunned most of his life because others are “scared” of his deformity.
He said: “I do not go to school because the teacher says other kids are scared of my hands.”
His parents, who earn just US$25 a month, have been desperately trying to find help for their son — but to no avail.
His father, Shamim, 45, who works as a laborer, is worried his son will never be independent and blames himself for not earning enough money.
The couple have only just been able to take their son to a local doctor for an assessment but their hopes of an instant cure have been dashed.
Dr. Ratan, the director of the local hospital, said: “As far as my knowledge goes, this is an extremely rare condition.”
He said that apart from the unsightly growths, Kaleem is in good health. But as his hands continue to grow it may put increased pressure on his cardiovascular system, potentially shortening his life.
Elsewhere, Dr. Krishan Chugh, head of pediatrics at the state-of-the-art Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurgaon, near Delhi, has also been left baffled after reviewing photographs and videos of the boy’s hands.
However, he believes Kaleem may be suffering from either lymphangioma or hamartoma — which are both treatable.
Lymphangioma is a condition of the lymphatic system which causes extreme inflammation resulting in doughy masses forming in certain parts of the body. Hamartoma is a benign type of tumor where the body produces excess tissue.
(SD-Agencies)
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