# What disease was this?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-disease-was-this/790236>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 30, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-disease-was-this/790236 "2017-06-30T22:34:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-disease-was-this/790236/1 "2017-06-30T22:34:36Z")

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I recently saw a middle-aged man who had little balls of skin all over his body. Though I could see only his head, arms and legs, I had every reason to assume the little balls were in other areas as well. The newer ones began as bumps, but then became well-defined spheres. The largest balls had a diameter almost the size of a quarter.

What disease was this?

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**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2017, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-disease-was-this/790236/2 "2017-06-30T23:35:26Z")

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Maybe neurofibromatosis -

> **[Neurofibromatosis - Pictures, Symptoms, Treatment, Causes](https://symptomstreatment.org/neurofibromatosis/)**
>
> Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Type 2 explained, find out causes, symptoms, treatment and pictures of neurofibromatosis

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**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-disease-was-this/790236/3 "2017-07-01T02:03:45Z")

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I agree with \*_SeaDragonTattoo \*\* that this is a likely diagnosis. The 3 patients_ I have had with this disease have had a similar presentation.

\*Two were a mother/daughter combination, one was a single man.

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-disease-was-this/790236/4 "2017-07-01T05:07:55Z")

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Back in 2013, Pope Francis made headlines by embracing a victim of this, [Vinicio Riva](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/disfigured-man-speaks-pope-loving-embrace-article-1.1529537).

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-disease-was-this/790236/6 "2017-07-01T06:30:49Z")

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Yep, that’s it. Thanks, all.

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2017, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-disease-was-this/790236/7 "2017-07-01T09:53:36Z")

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Okay, google image search for neurofibromatosis goes on the “disturbing” pile…