The human body is marvelous in a lot of ways, but at the same time it can be a source of fear, discomfort and existential dread. Fascination and horror can really go hand in hand at times, but some folks make it their mission to learn and document what they can about our physical forms.
The “Medicalpedia” Instagram page is dedicated to sharing some of the more interesting and extreme cases of what can happen to a human body. Be warned, some of the images here and on the IG page are graphic. So settle in as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Read More: 50 Medical Photos That Are Equal Parts Fascinating And Deeply Unsettling
#1 Nineteen Year Old Bernard Underwent Reconstructive Surgery To Remove The Growth On His Face That Had Been There For More Than A Decade
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#2 Turning One Foot Backward To Go Forward:
Child cancer patient underwent an unusual surgery to reconstruct her leg after being diagnosed with bone cancer. The procedure is called rotationplasty and is done by removing the part of the femur that has cancer in it and dissecting the nerves and vessels away from the tissue. Then they rotate the bottom portion of the leg 180 degrees and attach it to the hip, bundling up the nerves and vessels so they are secure. The procedure is most commonly used to transfer the ankle joint to the knee joint following resection of a distal femoral bone tumor, such as osteosarcoma. The limb is rotated because the ankle flexes in the opposite direction compared to the knee. The benefit to the patient is that they have a functioning knee joint which gives a stable foundation for the patient to use a prosthetic leg successfully. Compared with endoprostheses, allografts, and amputations, rotationplasty patients have been reported to achieve superior functional outcomes in several studies. Despite this, rotationplasty is rarely performed owing to concerns with the psychological effect of the abnormal cosmetic appearance of the limb.
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#3 A Graphic Comparison Between Healthy Lungs And Those Of A Heavy Smoker
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#4 Beautiful Close-Up Picture Of The Human Eye
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#5 Rare Case Of A Child Suffering From A Condition Called Hyperdontia
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#6 Extensive Head Swelling Due To An Allergic Reation To Hair Dye
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#7 X-Ray Of A Child With A Disease Known As Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type III With Progressive Deformities In The Lower Extremities, Together With Severe Osteoporosis, Fragile Bones, And Coxa Vara
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#8 Ever Wondered How A Foot Looks Like Under X-Ray While Wearing High Heels?
Studies have shown that these towering shoes can be costly in more ways than one, taking their toll on your spine, hips, knees, ankles and feet, while altering your posture and gait having harmful effects on the musculoskeletal system
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#9 Live Ladybug Found In A Man’s Transverse Colon During A Routine Colonoscopy
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#10 Ulnar Dimelia Or Mirror Hand Syndrome Is A Rare Congenital Anomaly Of The Upper Limb Characterized By Absence Of Radius, Duplication Of Ulna And Symmetric Polydactyly
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#11 Photo From 1950, Showing Iron Lungs In A Polio Ward
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#12 Hair Growing Out Of Patient’s Eye
Young male presented with a gradually increasing mass in the right eye since childhood. Examination revealed an elevated yellowish white lesion extending from 7 to 9 o’clock along the limbus with overlying fine vessels. Two hair follicles protruded from it. The clinical features were typical of limbal dermoid. The mass was excised with lamellar keratectomy, and histopathology further confirmed the diagnosis. Limbal dermoids are choristomas and are benign in nature. They may contain abberant tissues such as hair, teeth, bone, or muscle. Surgical excision is sometimes indicated for cosmetic purposes.
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#13 The Human Body Has More Than 60,000 Miles Of Blood Vessels
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#14 Trauma Caused By An Agricultural Machine, Severing The Hand In Multiple Locations
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#15 Dad Manages To Get A Crayon Embedded In His Foot!
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#16 An Extremely Rare Case Of Polydactyly Of The Toes With Synpolydactyly Of The Fingers
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#17 Here Is An Interesting Case Of An Intraoral Presence Of Hair
A 61-year-old male came to the department complaining of discomfort in his mouth which has been present for six months. History revealed that the patient had a history of diagnosed and treated cancer of the buccal mucosa. He had been treated with radiation therapy and local resection was done along with surgical reconstruction with radial forearm flaps. Intraoral examination showed various hair fibers growing from the surface of the left buccal mucosa into the oral cavity and extending into the palate. Patient was advised to have laser excision of these hairs but he refused the procedure. His refusal was related to his previous surgical experiences. . Hairy intraoral flaps are one of rarest adverse effects of surgical reconstruction after treatment of oral malignancies. This may be due to the presence of hair follicles in the donor sites used as a flap. An intraoral hairy flap may result in constant discomfort affecting the quality of life.
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#18 Case Of A 17 Year Old Boy With An 18 Cm Long Tail
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#19 Case Of A 13-Year Old Girl With Severe Scoliosis
This 13-year-old’s scoliosis was progressing so rapidly that major spinal surgery was her only treatment option. In just over six months, her curve progressed from what was initially 49-degree to a 99-degree curve. The girl now has a combination of titanium rods and screws around her spine. Luckily she fully recovered and got back to her normal activities. Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is unknown. About 3% of adolescents have scoliosis. Treatment depends on the degree of curve, location, and cause. Minor curves may simply be watched periodically.Treatments may include bracing, specific exercises, and surgery. The brace must be fitted to the person and used daily until growing stops. Specific exercises may be used to try to decrease the risk of worsening. They may be done alone or along with other treatments such as bracing. Evidence that chiropractic manipulation, dietary supplements, or exercises can prevent the condition from worsening is weak. However, exercise is still recommended due to its other health benefits. Surgery is usually recommended by orthopedists for curves with a high likelihood of progression (i.e., greater than 45 to 50° of magnitude), curves that would be cosmetically unacceptable as an adult, curves in people with spina bifida and cerebral palsy that interfere with sitting and care, and curves that affect physiological functions such as breathing. To completely straighten a scoliotic spine is usually impossible, but for the most part, significant corrections are achieved.
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#20 Jugular Vein Distention, Which Is Quite Massive, In A Woman With Cardiac Tamponade
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#21 Plicae Fimbriate – Ever Heard Of This Condition?
Plica fimbriata refers to the small folds in the membrane on the underside of your tongue. The folds tend to run parallel to, and on either side of your frenulum
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#22 A Peanut Lodged Inside A Child’s Trachea!
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#23 Case Of A 87-Year-Old Woman With A Five Inch Cutaneous Horn
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#24 A 15-Year-Old Boy Has Three Extra Vertebrae In His Neck
A Condition Known As Supernumerary Vertebra Along With Congenital Scoliosis – Causing Pain, Stress On His Nerves, And Making It Difficult For Him To Walk.
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#25 X-Ray Of An Individual-A Contortionist In An Extreme Pose Of Spinal Extension
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#26 This Woman Got Miraculously Pregnant With Quadruplets From An In-Vitro Fertilization! This Is Called A Monochorionic Diamniotic Quadruplet Pregnancy
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#27 An Interesting Case Of Triphalangeal Thumb
riphalangeal thumb (TPT) is a congenital hand anomaly in which the thumb has an additional phalanx. The true incidence of the condition is unknown, but is estimated at 1:25,000 live births. In about two-thirds of the patients with triphalangeal thumbs, there is a hereditary component. Clinical presentation of triphalangeal thumb can vary considerably and can be present in both hands or unilateral. The thumb can be long with a finger-like appearance. The presence of clinodactyly depends on the shape of the extra phalanx varying from wedge-shaped to rectangular. Various joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons of the first ray can be hypoplastic or absent, with varying degrees of stiffness or instability. In general the surgical treatment is done for improvement of the thumb function. However, an extra advantage of the surgery is the improvement in appearance of the thumb. In the past, surgical treatment of the triphalangeal thumb was not indicated, but now it is generally agreed that operative treatment improves function and appearance. Because an operation was not indicated in the past, there’s still a population with an untreated triphalangeal thumb.
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#28 Man Aged 36, Who Has Never Brushed His Teeth Since Childhood, Came With Severe Tooth Decay
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