This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Proteus syndrome

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The term "Proteus Syndrome" is applied to an extremely variable condition involving atypical growth of the skin, skull and bones associated with a variety of other symptoms. It has been suggested that Joseph Merrick (known as the Elephant Man) had suffered from this condition rather than neurofibromatosis, as was initially suggested

This condition was first identified by Michael Cohen, Jr., in 1979 and in 1983, a German pediatrician, Has Rudolf Wiedemann, named it Proteus Syndrome, after the Greek God Proteus "the polymorphous" because of the variable manifestations in the four unrelated boys first identified with the syndrome.

The condition is extremely rare but there are over 50 reported cases worldwide. Cases have been isolated occurrences in families, suggesting that the condition is not genetic. It affects both sexes equally, and has no particular racial, geographical or ethnic distribution.


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.