A teenager in Sichuan Province is suffering from a rare disease that turns her body tissue into bone.

The 14 year old girl complained she has been experiencing stiff ankles. After being diagnosed at a hospital in Shanghai, medical officials confirmed she has the rare stone man syndrome.

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Stone man syndrome is an extremely rare disease caused by genetic mutation. This causes the ability of the body to repair the muscles and the tendon to become inflexible. Children who are born with this disease often have big, deformed toes.

The teenager was identified Ni Min by Tongji Hospital authorities. The hospital doctors said yesterday that she has fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) otherwise known as Stone Man Disease. Doctors also added this rare condition will eventually cause a person’s body to freeze.

There is no known cure for Stone Man Disease. Records show that there were only 600 identified cases from around the world.

Dr. Zhang Keqin from Tongji Hospital said the condition of Ni is progressive. However, it could be delayed from eventually freezing her body once proper treatment is administered. The doctor said that Ni’s current condition is not yet that serious. He also added that proper medications were already prescribed and that developments would be seen after six months.

Meanwhile, researchers in the United States may have developed a cure for this extremely rare genetic disease. A new drug has been formulated to treat Stone Man Syndrome in the United States but is still under trial. Once approved, the medicine is expected to hit the market by next year.

Zhang said that the new medicine would bring new hope for those who suffer from FOP. He also added patients die early in their 40s. At this time, they are no longer capable of breathing as heavy pressure is incurred on the lungs, he said.

TagsStone Man Syndrome, FOP, Sichuan, Ni Min, Tongji Hospital, Dr.Zhang Keqin