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A man who spent the first two decades of his life classified as a dwarf and measuring less than five feet tall, suddenly grew to an incredible 7 foot 8 inches.
Adam Rainer is the only known case in history where a person has been medically classified as both a dwarf and a giant.
At 18 Rainer measured at 4ft 6" tall, by the time he was 50 years old he was nearly 8ft tall.
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His growth spurt was classed as a medical marvel brought about by a combination of dwarfism and a tumour inside his pituitary gland.
Sadly the incredibly rare condition also caused several other serious health issues.
Rainer was born in Graz, Austria, in 1899 to parents who were both of average height, but early into his life, it became clear his growth had been stunted.
When he attempted to enlist in the army to fight in World War I, doctors classified his small stature as dwarfism and deemed him unfit to fight.
Despite being classified as a dwarf, reports claim Rainer’s hands and feet were far too large for his frame – with the publication AllThatsInteresting claiming he wore a men’s UK size 8 shoe.
One year later, Rainer had grown two inches, and attempted to reenlist but was again denied.
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At 21 years old, the age when most people’s growth ends, Rainer began growing at an alarming rate.
By his 30s he stood at seven feet two inches tall, and there was no sign his growth would stop.
Doctor A. Mandl and Doctor F. Windholz, who began examining the young man in 1930, suspected he had a specific tumour causing a rare case of extreme acromegaly – a condition that causes abnormal growth of the face, hands, and feet due to an overproduction of growth hormones.
This was confirmed in 1931 and the medical professionals surgically removed the tumour.
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Over time, Rainer’s face became more square in shape, as his jaw and eyebrows protruded more and more due to the condition.
His rapid growth causes issues with his spine, which began to curve sideways, and sadly the surgery did not stop his growth, meaning his health continued to deteriorate over time.
As time went on the curvature issues became so bad he was often bedridden, as well as losing vision in his right eye and hearing in his left ear.
Rainer eventually died at the age of 51 years old. Standing at a massive seven feet, eight – though some reports claim he reached 7ft 10" tall.
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