There are plenty of rare medical disorders, but there’s one extraordinary case that’s so strange there’s only one documented instance of it in medical history. It involves a man who was both a dwarf as well as a giant over the course of his lifetime. Adam Rainer was born in Graz, Austria, to average-sized parents in 1899. When World War II broke out, Rainer tried to enlist in the army, but at 4’6” he was deemed too short and weak. A year later, Rainer tried again, and although he had grown a full 2 inches, the army rejected him again based on his height. Standing 4’8” at the age of 19, Rainer was considered a dwarf, being nearly 2 inches below the cut-off of 4’10”. Although he was short, medical reports state that Rainer had abnormally large hands and feet for his height. When he first tried to enlist in the army, his shoe size was a 10. Three years later, his feet had doubled to a size 20, though his height remained relatively static. At the age of 21, everything changed for Rainer. He began growing at an alarming pace, and over the next decade grew from a diminutive 4’8” to a shocking 7’1”. During that time, Rainer also began developing a severe spinal curvature and was diagnosed with a condition known as acromegaly. In Rainer’s case, this was caused by a tumor on his pituitary gland, which led to an overproduction of growth hormones in his body. Doctors decided to operate, despite believing that the chances for success were small given the fact that the tumor had been growing for over a decade. A few months after surgery, Rainer was measured again. His standing height had remained the same, though his spinal curvature was more severe, indicating that he was still growing, although at a much slower rate. Rainer's health continued to deteriorate. He went blind in his right eye, and began suffering hearing loss in his left ear. Over time, his spinal deformity became so pronounced that he was confined to bed. Rainer died at the age of 51, having reached the height of 7’8”. He remains the only man in history to be classified as both a dwarf and a giant.
