Man Left 'Looking Like The Hulk' After Drinking Causes Rare Condition

A man who regularly drank an entire litre of rice wine a day for almost 30 years has been diagnosed with a rare condition which leaves him with a massively swollen neck.

The 68-year-old man, named only as Tan, claims he began drinking when he was just 13, as is his family allowed it. He says that once he turned 40, he began knocking back at least one litre of strong rice wine every single day - adding that he was drinking it 'like water'.

After living this way for years, strange fatty deposits began building up on his neck, leaving him looking like The Incredible Hulk.

Doctor Xiao Xuping from the Hunan Provincial People's Hospital in Changsha, China, diagnosed Tan with Madelung's disease, also known as symmetric lipomatosis. The condition is characterised by the growth of these fatty deposits, which are prone to popping up around the neck and shoulders.

The doctor said his condition was caused by prolonged heavy drinking and that it mostly affected middle-aged men.

As a result, poor Tan is left with a neck which is thicker than most men's waists. He says he first noticed the growths way back in 1997, but in 2011 it swelled to its current size and hasn't gone back down.

He visited doctors who told him not to worry about the condition as it was usually harmless, but to return if it began to affect his breathing.

Last year, he was forced to make a trip to the hospital when the fatty deposits did indeed start restricting his airway and causing him pain.

Doctor Xiao is now planning surgical recession for Tan's growths, which is likely to include liposuction.

However, he's warned Tan that recurrences of the fatty lumps are to be expected unless he manages to kick his habit and stay off the booze for good, which given how long he's been drinking for will be no mean feat.

According to the National Institute of Health, around 90 percent of people who have multiple symmetric lipomatosis have a history of alcohol abuse.

Researchers recommend that those who have the condition abstain from alcohol to help keep it under control, or post treatment to prevent it from coming back.

Sources: National Institute of Health

Featured Image Credit: Asia Wire

Topics: Interesting, Alcohol, Weird, China, Health

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19