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Neurofibromatosis is the genetic disorder that has come to be known as Elephant Man disease. However, according to the July 25, 1987 issue of Science News, Neurofibromatosis was probably not the cause of the Elephant Man's deformities. Instead, it was the consensus of a 1987 National Institutes of Health panel, that Joseph Merrick--the 19th-century "Elephant Man' who later became the subject of a popular movie and play--actually suffered from an extremely rare disease known as the Proteus syndrome.
Source: "As of '87, he's Proteus Man. (Elephant Man found to have suffered from Proteus syndrome)", Science News, July 25, 1987, v132 , p. 55.
Verified by: GM, 5/98
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While the Library has verified the information presented in these files in what it considers to be reliable and authoritative sources, it cannot take responsibility for nor guarantee the accuracy of the information presented.