Quiz

 BuzzFeed Staff

Health

Can You Spot The Fake Medical Diagnosis?

[Cold urticaria](http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cold-urticaria/basics/definition/con-20034524) causes skin to develop deep red or purple hives when it comes into contact with cold temperatures. The allergic reaction can vary from a skin rash to a full-blown systemic reaction which can lead to fainting, shock, and even death — which often happens if the person is submerged in cold water. Treatment includes antihistamines and avoiding cold air or water.

Nope, this medical condition is real!

[Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva](https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/fibrodysplasia-ossificans-progressiva) is a very rare genetic disorder that causes muscle and connective tissues to gradually turn into bone, like an exoskeleton. It causes loss of mobility so sufferers can't move or even open their mouths to eat and speak. There are no effective treatments and researchers are still searching for a cure.

Nope, this medical condition is definitely real!

[Cutaneous porphyria](http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/porphyria/basics/symptoms/con-20028849) is a disorder that causes oversensitivity to UV rays from a buildup of natural chemicals that produce porphyrin in your body. Exposure to sunlight causes skin symptoms such as burning pain, redness, blisters, fragile skin, and more. Other types of porphyria can affect the nervous system and other organs.

[Epidermodysplasia verruciformis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851455/) is a rare, inherited disorder that makes a person susceptible to a very specific type of human papilloma virus (HPV) that causes eruptions of wart-like growths, lesions, and tumors all over the body. The warts and growths are so severe, they resemble the texture of tree bark. Surgery is usually the most effective treatment.

[Aquagenic urticaria](https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/10901/aquagenic-urticaria) is an incredibly rare condition that causes a person to become covered in itchy hives and sometimes blisters after their skin comes into contact with water (at any temperature). There's no effective treatment but the hives usually disappear within an hour. It's still possible to drink liquids, although bathing is difficult.

[Hypertrichosis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12444804) is a rare genetic disorder that causes overgrowth of hair on the body, either all over (universal) or just on one body part (localized). The individual ends up having significantly longer and denser hair than other people of the same age, race, and sex. There's no cure, but it can be treated with temporary and permanent hair removal.

[Foreign accent syndrome (FAS)](http://www.mountsinai.org/patient-care/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/foreign-accent-syndrome) is a rare speech disorder that causes a person to speak with what sounds like a specific foreign accent, even if they have never been to that country before. It's usually a result of damage to the part of the brain that controls speech (Broca's area) from things like a stroke, brain tumors, or head trauma, etc. Treatment includes speech therapy and counseling.

[Insomnia plague](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11214666) is a fictional disease from the magical realism novel _One Hundred Years of Solitude_, by Gabriel García Márquez. When the plague infects his characters, it causes large, whitish glowing eyes like a cat and makes it impossible to sleep. It eventually causes full amnesia and the characters lose all memories, knowledge, or sense of identity.

You got it — this medical condition is totally made up!

[Alien hand syndrome (AHS)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4059570/), is a rare neurological disorder that causes a person to lose control of their hand so it acts independently as if it has a mind of its own — as seen in "Dr. Strangelove." So it can move or reach for things without the person wanting to do so. Causes can include lesions to the motor cortex after neurosurgery, tumors, aneurysms, degenerative diseases of the brain, and, less commonly, a stroke.

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Can You Spot The Fake Medical Diagnosis?

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