Ultra-Rare "Fairy" Horn Grows On Woman's Arm In Taiwan

A 91-year-old woman in Taiwan has an ultra-rare "fairy" horn growing from one of her arms. It is seven centimetres long and four centimetres in width, according to a Facebook post of a doctor who treated the woman. The 91-year-old, who has not been named by the doctor, lives in the city of Changhua and is being treated in the local Xiuchuan Hospital for the abnormal growth. According to Dr Wong Hon Phin, who treated the woman, it is called a cutaneous horn - a hard conical projection from the skin, made of compact keratin.

According to Dr Wong's post, when the 91-year-old woman entered the clinic, her right forearm was bandaged but it was protruding out of the wrapping.

"Young doctors were surprised to see it. What surprised me even more was the "Fairy World Referral Form" handed over by the family members," the doctor's post, when translated to English, read. In Taiwan, locals associate any growth like this with fantasy stories of devils and magic.

The medical team carried out some tests at the hospital and noted that the woman had no history sexually transmitted infections and was not on any medication.

Dr Wong said in the Facebook post that the woman was advised to undergo surgery to remove the weird growth, but he advised the family and the young doctors to treat it with medicine.

A similar report emerged from China earlier too, which said that a man had developed a two-inch-long horn on his private part.

Such cutaneous horns are usually caused by sexually transmitted disease (STDs), poor hygiene and a combination of these things, according to Daily Star.