Sudden foreign accent, 'werewolf' hair growth: Yes, these odd medical conditions are real
Medical advances are making it increasingly common for Americans to be diagnosed with a rare disease — but some of these conditions are so unusual that they can generate national headlines when a person is diagnosed.
In many cases, these conditions are temporary and treatable — as was the case this week when a condition that causes out-of-control hair growth made international news when more than a dozen children were reported to have been diagnosed with the condition.
But some conditions have been found to be permanent, leading some who have been diagnosed to long-term effects including social anxiety, as Ashley Bosma — a woman who suffers from "Foreign accent syndrome" — said in an interview.
'Werewolf syndrome'
"Werewolf syndrome," also known as hypertrichosis, is the excess production of hair, either in one specific area or throughout the body.
17 babies in Spain were afflicted with the ailment after a medicinal mix-up that resulted in them taking minoxidil, the active ingredient in Rogaine, instead of omeprazole, the active ingredient in Prilosec.
Farma-Química Sur, the company involved in the mix-up, has since been prohibited from manufacturing any medication until this incident has been resolved, reported Spanish publication El País.
The babies afflicted will recover in the span of a few months after taking the medicine, added El País.
Prior to this outbreak, "werewolf syndrome" gained notoriety after the website Barcroft TV circulated videos and images of two children — a girl in Bangladesh and a boy in India — who were born with the ailment.
'Black hairy tongue'
Black hairy tongue is a condition where small bumps on your tongue grow larger and change into a brownish-black color. The condition can look as though small hairs sit on top of the person's tongue.
Last September, the condition gained national attention after the New England Journal of Medicine published details of a case involving "black discoloration of her tongue" in a 55-year-old woman. The study, which included graphic photos, found the condition was a side effect of her treatment following a motor vehicle crash.
After developing an infection, the woman was given two antibiotics: an oral dose of minocycline and meropenem given intravenously. One week later, she developed nausea, a bad taste in her mouth and the tongue discoloration.
The condition went away within weeks after doctors had the patient stop minocycline in favor of an alternative treatment.
Black hairy tongue can occur in patients for a number of reasons, according to Yasir Hamad and David K. Warren, doctors at Washington University in St. Louis. Among them: poor oral hygeine, using tobacco or irritating mouthwashes, or antibiotic treatments.
'Foreign accent syndrome'
Last year, a Florida native drew national attention to a rare speech disorder when she was diagnosed.
Following a traumatic brain injury, Ashley Bosma began speaking in what sounds like a posh British accent. The rare condition has been documented at least 100 times.
"It's real. It happens. It's a beautiful and cursing phenomenon," Bosma said.
The University of Texas at Dallas says the syndrome has been observed in a number of languages. Japanese speakers have begun to speak with a Korean accent and Spanish speakers have begun speaking with a Hungarian accent, for example, the university says.
The syndrome usually occurs after damage to the brain from a traumatic brain injury or stroke.
Contributing: Brett Molina
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Odd medical conditions: 'Werewolf syndrome,' 'black hairy tongue'
