File:TreeRootArms.jpg

The wart-covered arms of an Indonesian man named "Dede".

The growths are called "cutaneous horns" and he has them on his arms and legs. After seeing a story about him on The Discovery Channel, Dr Anthony Gaspari, a dermatology expert from the University of Maryland, has concluded that due to a genetic defect, Dede's immune system is unable to contain the growth of the warts common in people infected with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

Dede's condition started after an accident when he was a boy; he is now in his thirties.

Notes from: Telegraph.co.uk, © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2007

Image: The Discovery Channel, via Telegraph.co.uk, © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2007