Adam Rainer
Adam Rainer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1899 |
| Died | March 4, 1950 (aged 50–51) |
| Known for | Being both a dwarf and giant |
Adam Rainer (1899 – 4 March 1950) was the only person in recorded history to have been both a dwarf and a giant.[1] He is believed to have had acromegaly.[2]
Biography
Dwarfism
Adam Rainer was born in Graz, Austria-Hungary (present day Austria), in 1899.[3] As a child, Rainer was described as very small, thin, and weak. In 1917, at age 18, he was measured at 122.55 cm (4 ft 0.25 in). The following year, he was measured at 111.5 cm (3 ft 7.9 in). He therefore was refused entry into the Austro-Hungarian Army to take part in the First World War.[4] A typical defining characteristic of dwarfism is an adult height below 147 cm (4 ft 10 in).
Gigantism
Several years later, likely as a result of a pituitary tumor, he had a dramatic growth spurt. By 1932 (aged 33), he had reached a height of 218 cm (7 ft 2 in).[5] Two doctors examined him in detail between August 1930 and May 1931. His height was 216 cm (7 ft 1 in). A benign pituitary adenoma was found, which was responsible for the enormous growth. Oskar Hirsch removed the adenoma.[4] As a result of his gigantism, he later became bedridden for the rest of his life.[3] When he died in 1950 at the age of 51, he had reached a final height of 234 cm (7 ft 8 in).[6] He went from US shoe size 10 (EUR size 43) at age 19 to size 20 (EUR 53) only three years later.[7]
References
- ^ Guinness World Records, 2004.
- ^ "World's Littlest Giant: The Curious Case of Adam Rainer". thechirurgeonsapprentice.com. 20 January 2015. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ a b Bellows, Alan. "The Man Who Was a Dwarf and a Giant", DamnInteresting.com, 1 December 2005.
- ^ a b Hirsch, Oskar (1961). "Two Different Types of Gigantism Due to Similar Tumors. Discussion of Growth". Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. 21 (4): 345–356. doi:10.1159/000104531. PMID 13907711. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Hirsch, Obar. Two Types of Gigantism Due to Similar Tumors. Discussion of Growth* Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine Confinia Neurologica, Vol. 21, No. 4 (1961)
- ^ Adam Rainer Archived 2017-12-19 at the Wayback Machine at The Tallest Man
- ^ Fitzharris, Lindsey. "The Insane Story Of A Man Who Was Born A Dwarf And Died A Giant". Business Insider.
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