Each area of the globe contributes to some bizarre medical condition and its origins. Elephantiasis, for example, is a fibromatosis and lymphatic disorder caused by an African parasite. Similar regional fibromatosis disorders occur around the globe and some are even genetically connected to your country of ancestral origin. The following genetic diseases are examples of fibromatoses related to Germanic and Viking or Scandinavian bloodlines.

Ledderhose Disease

The German word ledderhose means "leather breeches" or "leather pants". In regards to this disease, it is meant to remind people of the fact that the disease causes the bottoms of the sufferer's feet to become very taut, like tough leather. The disease makes sufferers unable to walk. Tough nodules or cysts may also develop on the fascia bands of the feet (the long stretchy tissues that help feet flex and move). As such, the sufferer eventually is in so much pain that there is no way for him/her to walk anymore.

Dupuytren's Disease (Viking's Disease)

This disease is almost the exact same thing as Ledderhose, but this one just affects the hands. There is some supposition that the two diseases share the same origins, since the Vikings and Scandinavians invaded Germany often, and would have spread the diseases into the Germanic genetic pool. The problems Dupuytren's disease presents are often more easily tolerated, since you do not need your hands to walk. Lesser forms of Dupuytren's are surgically treated to release the contractures and remove the pain-causing nodules.

Hypophosphatasia or Odontohypophosphatasia (Dutch-German)

Another rare disease which seems to plague the Dutch-German ancestry is hypophosphatasia. This disease causes bones to be soft or to become soft and the affected persons cannot absorb enough minerals to get bones to harden and stay hard. These people experience broken bones more commonly, a sort of "glass skeleton" effect, if you will. A lesser form of the disease can present itself as odontohypophosphatasia, which means that only the teeth are affected. It makes your teeth soft and they break quite easily or fall out very early in life so that you have to wear dentures the rest of your natural life.

This last disease is in contrast to the two that precede it, which makes it a very interesting study for researchers. Because all three relate to predominantly Germanic bloodlines, researchers may be interested in seeing if Hypophosphatasia could reverse some of the effects of Dupuytren's or Ledderhose's disease. Additionally, because they are on opposite ends of a similar spectrum of bone and muscle diseases, it may prove interesting to find out why the German/Dutch/Scandinavian people have such opposing, oppressing and painful disorders in their genetic/ancestral trees.

To learn more, contact a company like Dupuytren's Disease Support Group.