Bangladeshi ‘Tree Man’ to undergo surgery to remove branches after 20 years

A 30-year-old Bangladeshi man suffering from a rare ailment called epidermodysplasia verricruciformis will finally undergo surgery after 20 years of suffering to have the “tree branches” growing on his limbs removed. The growth looks like gnarled tree branches which are actually wart-like lesions.

According to emedicine, the skin tumours are malignant or carcinomas that develop frequently in 30 to 70 percent of patients in sun-exposed areas between the ages 20 and 40. It initially appears on the face, neck, chest and arms.

Called the "Tree Man" disease, it is caused by a defect in the immune system, which increases the patient’s susceptibility to human papilloma virus (HPV). Fortunately for Abul Bajandra, who first noticed the lesions when he was 10 years old, Dhaka surgeons learnt of his plight and offered to perform the surgery for free, reports CNN.

Samanta Lal Sen, chief coordinator of surgery at Dhaka Medical Hospital, says Bajandra’s situation is one of the most severe cases of the condition recorded not only in Bangladesh, but throughout the world. Bajandra, a rickshaw driver, has been suffering from the condition for 20 years, and as the lesions grew longer he stopped being able to carry out simple tasks like holding a toothbrush to brush his teeth or even lift a fork to bring food to his mouth.

“I lost my ability to work. There are now dozens of two- to three-inch roots in both my hands.And there are some small ones in my legs,” the ABC quotes Bajandar.

Although the surgery is a lengthy process that would mean several surgeries over half a year, Lal Sen is optimistic that the surgery would succeed. The resident of Khulna is currently preparing for the surgery that would remove about five kilogrammes of lesions which he initially thought were harmless. He is undergoing tests to make sure that if the warts, which look like roots, are removed surgically, Bajandra's major nerves would not be damaged or lead to other health problems.