Rarest and freakiest diseases in the world - including alien hand and walking corpse syndrome

Rarest and freakiest diseases in the world - including alien hand and walking corpse syndrome READ MORE: Do you suffer from a rare disease? Email health@dailymail.com By Alexa Lardieri U.S.

Deputy Health Editor Dailymail.Com Published: 20:13, 11 August 2024 | Updated: 20:13, 11 August 2024 e-mail View comments Tens of millions of people are living with a rare disease, defined as a condition suffered by fewer than 200,000 people. Global experts have identified more than 7,000 of these conditions, which include all pediatric cancers, more than 100 conditions that can cause 'childhood dementia' and hundreds that impact the body's ability to break down nutrients, which can lead to deadly organ damage.

In total, rare diseases affect approximately 25 to 30million Americans and 350million people across the globe. The conditions do not have a cure and more than 90 percent have no FDA-approved therapies, leaving doctors and patients to figure out the best course of treatment on their own. The diseases affect people from all walks of life and most don't seem to discriminate based on sex, race or location.

And while some are genetic or hereditary - passed down through families - there are plenty that seemingly occur randomly. Below DailyMail.com details eight of the rarest - and strangest - diseases in the world.

Elephant man syndrome Joseph Merrick, a severely deformed man who lived in London in the late 1800s, suffered from elephant man syndrome Elephant man syndrome, or proteus syndr.