Shahana Khatun from Netrakona is the First Female With 'Tree Man Syndrome'!!

Shahana Khatun from Netrakona, Bangladesh with bark-like warts growing out of her face could be the first female in the world with the rare genetic disease commonly known as tree man syndrome.

The 10 years old third grader of Baluchora Government Primary School has admitted in Dhaka Medical College Hospital's Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit  with "bark-like warts" on her nose, chin, and ears.

According to Dr Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator of Dhaka Medical College Hospital's Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit, Shahana's growth is similar to Tree man disease that affected Abul Bajandar earlier.

He also informed the press that a six-member medical board will be formed tomorrow to assess Shahana’s illness.

Meeting with the press Shahana's father Shahjahan Miah told that, acting on a local journalist’s advice he brought his daughter to the DMCH in the beginning of this week.
He also informed press that, at the age of one, Shahana appeared to have what was then thought prickly heat rashes on her face. These started to grow about three years back.

Previously, Abul Bajandar, 26, also known as "tree man" has undergone at least 18 operations at the same hospital where Shahana is receiving treatment. However it could take just one surgery to remove the growths from Sahana's face as its not as severe as Abul Bajandar.

Tree man syndrome is an extremely rare condition more formally known as epidermodysplasia verruciformis. It's caused by unusual vulnerability to the human papillomavirus. The Telegraph reports that only four cases—all in men—have been documented prior to Sahana. A Romanian man was first diagnosed with the disease in March 2007. Another case was reported in Indonesia in November the same year in a 35-year-old fisherman. The last reported case also occurred in Indonesia in 2009.

The Indonesian fisherman, whose case had also received worldwide attention, died on January 30 last year from the complications related to his condition as the warts began to reappear. Those were surgically removed earlier.

The illness is thought to be caused by a person’s poor immune system response to the common infection HPV (Human papilloma virus). It is characterized by abnormal susceptibility to human papillomaviruses (HPVs) of the skin. The resulting uncontrolled HPV infections result in the growth of scaly macules and papules, particularly on the hands and feet. It is typically associated with HPV types 5 and 8, which are found in about 80% of the normal population as asymptomatic infections, although other types may also contribute. The genetic disease produces scaly, bark-like growths, which usually affect the hands and feet.

The condition usually has an onset of between the ages of one and 20, but can occasionally present in middle age.

Cases that found earlier:

Ion Toader: In March 2007, a Romanian man named Ion Toader was diagnosed with this condition. A patient of dermatologist Carmen Madeleine Curea, his pictures appeared on numerous blogs and Romanian press sources. Curea works with Spitalul Clinic Colentina in Bucharest, Romania. Stephen Stone, past president of the American Academy of Dermatology, confirms this is Lewandowsky-Lutz.Toader underwent surgery in late 2013, and since then has been mostly symptom-free, with only small reappearances.

Dede Koswara: In November 2007, a video of a 34-year-old Indonesian man named Dede Koswara with a similar disease appeared on the Internet. His story appeared on the USA's Discovery Channel and TLC series My Shocking Story. On August 12, 2008, Dede Koswara's story was the subject of an ABC's Medical Mystery episode entitled "Tree Man". On 26 August 2008, Dede returned home following surgery to remove 6 kg (13 lb) of warts from his body. The surgery was documented by the Discovery Channel and TLC in the episode "Treeman: Search for the Cure". However, his warts returned and he was thought to require two surgeries per year for the rest of his life in order to manage the warts. The Discovery Channel funded a blood analysis and found he lacked an immune system antigen to fight yeast infection. He was offered to have more tests run to determine whether it is treatable, and the doctor was fairly optimistic, but he refused the treatment. Aged 42, Dede Koswara died on 30 January 2016, around 03:30 Western Indonesia Time, at Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, from the complications related to his condition.
In 2009, the Discovery Channel episode "Treeman Meets Treeman" reported on another Indonesian man, from the same region as Dede, who also has the disease and was given a similar treatment for it. His treatment seemed to have worked better.

Abul Bajandar: In January 2016, a 25-year-old patient named Abul Bajandar from Khulna, Bangladesh was admitted in Dhaka Medical College and Hospital and was diagnosed with this condition. Doctors at the hospital decided to form a medical board for the treatment of the patient. Over the following year, Bajandar underwent at least 16 surgeries for the removal of the warts—weighing in excess of 5 kilograms (11 lb)—from his hands, feet, and legs.