10 a.m.

Zhao Heng was sitting in his office. The anesthesia assistant project has already been officially signed. Zhao Heng must present the first phase of clinical data and related drug and disease digital models within a month. So, the time is quite tight.

Thus, Zhao Heng must make use of every spare minute to complete the drug and related disease digital models. Even though this means being busy every day with almost no time for rest, Zhao Heng still rather enjoys the sense of fulfillment it brings.

This feeling of achieving one's goals through one's efforts, to be honest, is quite addictive.

Just at this moment, Tian Zhen walked in and said to Zhao Heng, "Dr. Zhao, a patient has been transferred from the hospital downstairs. The ER said they couldn't handle it and want to send him here."

"Couldn't handle it? What kind of patient?"

Hearing Tian Zhen say this, Zhao Heng was a bit puzzled. Previously, patients sent from the ER were because they were overwhelmed, but a patient they explicitly stated couldn't be treated being sent over, this was the first time.

"It seems to be a patient with a skin disease."

Tian Zhen said.

"Skin disease? If it's a skin disease, wouldn't dermatology admit them?"

Zhao Heng was even more puzzled. Why was a patient with a skin disease being sent to him?

Despite Eastern Hospital now being renowned for Zhao Heng's expertise in handling complex and difficult cases, and having earned almost unanimous recognition from the medical staff, this was indeed the first time such a case that both the ER and dermatology said they couldn't handle was directly sent over.

"Dermatology said they couldn't handle it either."

Tian Zhen spoke again.

"Hmm, let's go take a look."

Zhao Heng stood up and went out of the office with Tian Zhen.

Arriving at the ward, Zhao Heng saw a middle-aged man sitting in a wheelchair with a middle-aged woman standing behind him. Upon further inspection, the ER doctor was nowhere in sight.

Did they just send him over without any follow-up?

Zhao Heng grew even more puzzled.

Taking a closer look, Zhao Heng immediately noticed the middle-aged man's legs and drew a sharp breath.

Hiss—

It's safe to say that Zhao Heng had never seen such a horrifying scene.

Because Zhao Heng saw that the middle-aged man's drooping legs and feet were covered with "branches" like bark. The skin was obviously cracked, with grayish-black pus oozing from the fissures, and in between the "branches" of the feet, some mosquitoes were still roaming, and Zhao Heng even saw a few flies buzzing around the man's feet, trying to find the best landing spot.

This scene was something Zhao Heng had never encountered before. Although he had seen patients with elephantiasis of the legs before, it was nothing like the current appearance of this middle-aged man.

No wonder both the ER and dermatology departments wouldn't admit him; with such a terrifying appearance, any doctor would likely conclude it was untreatable.

"Doctor..."

Seeing Zhao Heng approaching, the middle-aged man greeted him with a very weary voice. Looking at his appearance, his face was full of sorrow and despair.

However, there was a hint of hope in his eyes, a glimmer of hope that Zhao Heng would admit him.

He had already been to many hospitals before, but not a single one admitted him. Even after arriving at the renowned Eastern Hospital, both the departments subtly refused to admit him and told him the last hope was this ward.

If the doctors in this ward refused him, he virtually had nowhere else to seek treatment.

"How long has your condition been like this?"

Zhao Heng steadied himself and first asked.

Even if the patient appears daunting, Zhao Heng must admit him. In terms of treating complex cases, having accumulated the experience of nearly all the top doctors at Eastern Hospital, if Zhao Heng claimed second place, no one would dare claim first.

So he knew, if he didn't admit this patient, the patient likely had nowhere else to seek treatment.

Actually, patients like this without a doctor willing to treat them are not uncommon. The human body is too complex, and for many diseases, be it the pathogenesis or treatment methods, there are almost no clues.

"Doctor, it's been thirty years."

The middle-aged man's sorrowful face was wrinkled as he slowly spoke.

"Have you been to any other hospitals? Has any treatment been done?"

Zhao Heng asked again.

"Doctor, I've already had seven surgeries, but this time it relapsed again, and I can't find a hospital or doctor to perform surgery."

The middle-aged man calmly said, as if he wasn't talking about himself. This shows he had almost no hope left.

"Seven surgeries? What did the previous doctors say?"

Zhao Heng frowned and asked.

Some diseases are relatively complex, but at most, require a second or third surgery. To have more than four surgeries is incredibly painful for the patient.

Each surgery, regardless of size, is a significant toll and consumption on the body, let alone seven surgeries.

However, looking at this middle-aged man's condition, it might be because all seven surgeries were on his legs, so he doesn't appear to be entirely worn out.

"They said it's some kind of epidermal dysplasia."

The middle-aged man said.

"Is it epidermodysplasia verruciformis?"

Zhao Heng thought for a moment and said.

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV), more commonly known as tree man syndrome.

This is an extremely rare hereditary skin disease with a high incidence of skin cancer and is extremely prone to relapse.

For this kind of rare hereditary skin disease, based on existing examination data, patients share a common point, which is an infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Research indicates that the onset of EV is usually associated with HPV types 5 and 8.

Moreover, the most crucial factor is that in the onset of EV, genetics play a more important role than viral infections.

Studies have shown that the EVER1/EVER2 gene complex on chromosome 17 can restrict viral proteins from entering the zinc storage area in cells, thereby limiting viral growth.

However, in EV patients, one of the EVER1 or EVER2 genes on chromosome 17 undergoes a PH mutation, leading to its inactivation, thus failing to exert an appropriate inhibitory effect on the HPV virus, resulting in a manifest infection.

It is precisely this combination of viral infection and genetic mutation that ultimately leads to the onset of EV.

Given all this, astute readers would conclude that to completely cure EV, or epidermodysplasia verruciformis, it must be addressed at the genetic level.

In other words, repeatedly performing surgeries to remove the tree branch-like outgrowths on the patient's epidermis, akin to weeding and pruning, is merely addressing the symptoms rather than the root cause.

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