Cancer, heart disease, the common cold — these medical conditions are well-known by the public, in part, because they affect large numbers of people. But did you know there's a genetic condition that causes babies to suddenly lose all their fat after birth? Or an aggressive autoimmune disorder that can cause the bridge of the nose to collapse? Or a disease that causes the skin to blister under even the lightest pressure? Every week at Live Science, we call attention to a rare disorder that may not be widely known, describing its symptoms, treatments, causes and recent cases that caught our attention.
Latest about rare diseases
This rare disease causes people to move uncontrollably and unintentionally self-harm
Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is an extremely rare disease that affects patients' behavior and cognitive skills.
The exceptionally rare disease that causes holes to form in your brain
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is an extremely rare and fatal brain-wasting disease that's like a human version of "mad cow."
What is hantavirus? The rare but deadly respiratory illness spread by rodents
Hantaviruses are spread by rodents and can cause deadly respiratory and kidney illnesses in humans. It recently killed Betsy Arakawa, actor Gene Hackman's wife, in a widely covered case.
This rare bacterial infection triggers pus-filled sores in the lungs and brain
Nocardiosis is a rare bacterial infection that attacks the lungs, skin and brain.
'Fish odor syndrome': A rare metabolic condition that makes sweat smell like rotten fish
Patients with trimethylaminuria, or "fish odor syndrome," make too much of a chemical with a strong fishy smell.
What is babesiosis? The parasitic infection that 'eats' your red blood cells
Most people exposed to the parasites behind babesiosis don't get sick, but for others, the infection can be deadly.
POLG diseases: Rare genetic conditions that starve cells of energy and afflicted the late Prince of Luxembourg
POLG-related diseases disrupt the function of the mitochondria, or "powerhouses" of the cell — starving them of energy.
