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Top 10 Most Disgusting Medical Conditions

As a medical student and now as a resident, I feel quite comfortable with the day-to-day gross diagnoses in the hospital. In fact, until last week I was convinced that nothing phased me anymore. That was until a patient with myiasis walked into my hospital, and I nearly lost my lunch. The episode has made me think: what is the most disgusting diagnosis in medicine….is there anything more gross than myiasis? Well, after thinking about all the cases I have seen and looking at some gut wrenching images, I have come up with my Top Ten Most Disgusting Medical Conditions.

 
WARNING: THE IMAGES BELOW REPRESENT REAL MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND ARE EXPLICIT IN NATURE. DO NOT VIEW THESE IMAGES UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO FEEL QUEASY.
 

1o. Hidradenitis Suppurativa:

A chronic inflammatory condition of the apocrine sweat glands, usually in the axilla (arm pit). It does not matter how many times you cut it out, it will always come back.

Archives of Dermatology


 

9. Fecaluria:

The passage of fecal matter through the urethra. The condition usually develops via a vesicointestinal fistula, or a connection between the bladder and the intestine.

Journal of RadioGraphics

8. Fecal Vomiting:

This can occur in very sick patients, usually due to a bowel obstruction or a gastrocolic fistula (connection between the stomach and the colon). No one wants to see a real picture of this…

 

7. Fulminant Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Infection:

HPV causes most warts on our body, including the sexually transmitted forms. However, there is a rare genetic disese called Epidermodysplasia verruciformis which allows HPV to take over a person’s body. You may have heard of Dede Koswara, or “The Tree Man”, who suffered from this disorder, check out his story on ABCNews.

Note: I believe this disease is the same, or related to Keratosis Palmoplantaris…see image below

6. Cancrum Oris:

Also known as “Noma Disease”, this is a gangrenous infection that leads to destruction of the mouth and face. The disease is common in African youth.

5. Tapeworm (Cestoda):

Parasitic flatworms are not as uncommon as you might think. They live in your small intestine for years at a time, laying eggs and feasting off host blood and feces. One worm can go from egg to 15 foot long adult in only a few months. They can be contracted from eating under cooked meats, especially pork. One species, Taenia saginata, which infects cows and humans, has been found to grow up to 40 feet long.

cdc.gov

4. Echinococcosis:

Also known as hydatid disease, this is another parasitic tapeworm infection, which an twist. When the Echinococcis granulosus worm infects a host, it creates an other-worldly cyst in the body. The cyst continues to expand until it is either removed, or overcomes the host. More disturbing is that the echinococcosis loves to make its home in the host brain. The image below shows the removal of a hydatid cyst from the abdomen. This movie depicts removal of a cyst from the brain and is a very graphic, real-life example of how large the cysts in the brain get, and how they are removed.

3. Bed Bug Infestation:

Why is the Cimicidae parasite so high on the list? If you are asking that question, you have never seen a real infestation. While I was a fourth year medical student I was riding with an EMS team when we picked up a homeless man to bring to the hospital. While enroute to the ED we noticed hundreds of red sores. When asked about the wounds, the man did not know anything about them. Two minutes into the drive I saw movement around the man’s waistline. All of the sudden, 25-30 bed bugs crawled out of his pants and started doing their business on his belly and legs. The man felt nothing. I grabbed one bug with a towel to verify the infestation. Instantly, all 30 bugs rushed right back into the mans pants. If you don’t think a full on Cimicidae infection is gross….just wait until you see one. You will itch for a month.

wikipedia.org

2. Ascariasis:

The great white parasitic roundworm. Though not as common nor as long as her tapeworm counterpart, Ascariasis are far more cruel. Contracted from eating ascariasis fecal matter, the larvae hatch in your gut, they dig through your intestines, eat through your lungs, move into your respiratory tract, and get reswallowed into your gut where they grow very large and very numerous. The worms can grow up to 1 foot in length, measuring inches in circumference, and there may be hundreds in one intestine. The image below is an intestine that has been opened up after surgery.

 
The most disgusting medical diagnosis…

1. Myiasis:

Maggots eating your flesh…and you don’t even know it! How do flies get in your body to lay eggs in the first place? How do people not realize there are hundreds of maggots eating their dying skin? How does it all happen? I don’t know, but the simple thought of the whole cycle makes me feel queasy. One interesting fact is that the use of maggot therapy is on the rise. Some physicians are beginning to adopt a century old practice of cleaning necrotic wounds with maggots…interesting. If you are really brave, check out the video published in BMC Surgery of a surgeon removing multiple maggots from a woman chest.
 

Canadian Medical Association Journal


Dermatology Online Journal


Myiasis in a cat

 

Honorable Mention:

Hypertrichosis:

“Werewolf Disease” is a genetic syndrome resulting in hear growth on every inch of your body.

Dracunculiasis:

Or “Guinea Worm Disease” results from long skinny roundworms that live in blisters in the legs and feet.

Filariasis:

Another roundworm disease, this one causes blockage of your lymphatic vessels leading to elephantiasis.

36 comments

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  1. TinaMarie

    Oh My Goodness!!

    1. Anonymous

      bewbiez

    2. PeepsMcPPeeperson

      yeH its awesome like the worms in ya EYES, the disgusting ROPELIKE things with your poop, 

  2. melissa

    Good collection of info. I might have also added harlequin icthyosis or ringworm.

  3. Anonymous

    AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY EYES ASDJFGASDVJKLIUJHVP-OKN TGRM,BF O’,AQ BNL/;LE

  4. Mthobisi

    Wow really interesting…..

  5. emily

    omg this is gross!!!!!

  6. This Effing Guy

    Well…there went mu friggin lunch…thanks a lot biology.

  7. Anonymous

    lol

     

  8. brena

    ohh it s so dirty like u emily

     

    1. Anonymous

      heyyyyy babe

       

    2. Anonymous

      that's screwed up guys, you just insulted probably everyone on this wedsite hope you fell happy you dum jerks.

  9. titties

    titties!

     

  10. fff

    this is nasty

  11. Anonymous

    that is so disgusting!

  12. Anonymous

    Gross but cool

  13. Anon

    You should've included Cyclopia.

  14. Anonymous

    eewwwwww

  15. ryle

    I THINK I'M GONNA BE SICK!

    1. Jelly

      i feel like I'm watching a horror movie. Kinda gross but kinda interesting. Now if you excuse me, I going to have a seizure (not literally)

  16. sherry

    I think i'm going ti get sick there are some gross shit in this world

     

  17. lola

    OMG that is totes gross

  18. Grammar Nazi

    Lots of grammar mistakes. I wasn't scared or grossed out at all.

    1. PeepsMcPPeeperson

      really?

      1. Andrew

        Yes!

  19. Peter

    I'm gonna find my friend who sent me this link and punch him in the head.   *shudder*

  20. Yo mama

    Discusting i just threw away my food thanks

  21. Anonymous

    gddggfdfg

  22. Xx_bung_xX

    Ewwwwww!!!!!!

  23. Anonymous

    Yum makes me hungry!

  24. Eddie

    You should add trypophobia because that is REALLY GROSS

     

    1. Andrew

      Eww! That is also terrible.

  25. Crimson

    NOPE NOPE NOPE ABANDON MISSION, CLOSE PAGE, CLEAN HISTORY, BLEACHED EYES, REMOVE MEMORY FROM BRAIN, JUST ASUHAHASSSSHASH WHYYYYYYY

    For some reason, surprisingly, the most disgusting, disturbing picture of disease is smallpox. It's maybe an ordinary and common disease, and everyone might get one. But WAIT until you google it and NOPEEEEEEEEE my skin itching for days. Even the image of Wikipedia is still somehow disturbing.

  26. Anonymous

    Mmm delicious 

     

  27. a

    Disturbing and fascinating. I just kept looking at the images in a voyeristic manner. Gross.

  28. Anonymous

    Fuck this shit bruh, yall niggas nasty for haviing this shet

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