A poor man with gigantic 18kg tumours has been unable to leave his home after he was struck by a mysterious illness from the age of 12.
Shocking images show K Palanisami’s four tumours on his arms, with a huge one on his neck that affects his speech and head movement.
They first appeared when he was 12 years old, but over the past few years have grown substantially.
The 42-year-old also has five other small tumours in other areas of his body.
Palanisami grew up in a poor family who lived in the hilltop village of Podarankadu, in India, which is far from any hospital.
His older brother, K Sivasami, said: “Everything was normal until he was 12 years of age. Then small tumours started appearing on his body.
"My father Kailas took him to doctors in Dharmapuri and Chennai, but they said that the tumours are harmless and will not affect him.
"The doctors also said that if any surgical procedure was to be carried out to remove the tumours, it could prove to be fatal for him.
“Now the tumours have grown to massive sizes affecting his daily life."
Palanisami has three brothers and one sister – but no other family member suffers with the condition.
Following x-rays and blood tests, doctors in Dharmapuri are unable to explain Palanisami’s tumours.
His brother added: "Following the death of my father, we two brothers and our wives are taking care of him."