Woman finds relief from rare facial distortion condition
Victor Sharrah had always been a social person, but for the past three years, he’s found himself more withdrawn.
That’s because ever since he woke up one day in November 2020, Sharrah, 59, has been seeing people’s faces distorted or as he put it like “demons.”
“I woke up one morning that way and freaked out,” Sharrah told USA TODAY.
Sharrah is one of the very few people in the world with prosopometamorphopsia, or PMO, a rare condition that causes a person to see severely stretched features with deep grooves on the forehead, cheeks, and chin, according to a study recently published in The Lancet.
Seeking answers and finding relief
Terrified of what was happening, he reached out to a support group he was a part of for bipolar disorder.
“This woman came back to me and she said ‘I can explain to you what’s going on if you give me five minutes and give me your phone number,'” Sharrah recalled.
Seeking answers and terrified, Sharrah took the call, and it would bring him some relief.
The rarity and characteristics of PMO
According to a website on the rare disorder, there have only been around 75 confirmed cases of people with PMO.
The condition varies from person to person but is characterized by a distortion of faces including features appearing droopy, smaller, larger, stretched, or in a different position, the website said.
It’s not entirely understood what causes someone to experience PMO, but according to the study, some cases could be linked to head trauma, stroke, epilepsy, or migraine.
Sharrah’s possible origins of PMO
Sharrah believes his PMO could be linked to a head injury he sustained 17 years ago, or even carbon monoxide poisoning he experienced just four months before his symptoms started.
Additionally, MRI scans found a lesion in the hippocampus region of his brain.
Visualizing and understanding the distortions
To gather information about Sharrah’s perceived distortions, researchers took a photograph of a person and then showed that image to him on a computer screen. He would then look at the person’s face in real life and describe the differences he spoke of. These descriptions were used to create modified images to match what Sharrah experienced.
While these created images offer some insight into Sharrah’s visual experience, he emphasizes that they only tell a fraction of the traumatic story.
Spreading awareness for PMO
Sharrah has been speaking out about his experience with PMO, hoping to raise awareness and provide support to those facing similar symptoms without understanding their cause.
According to the study, the misdiagnosis of PMO as schizophrenia is not uncommon. Overlooking the visual system problem, people may be mistakenly prescribed anti-psychotics.
Sharrah’s main concern is to prevent individuals from being institutionalized and medicated for psychosis, when in reality, they may be suffering from a vision malfunction.
Hope for those affected by PMO
Sharrah’s ordeal and subsequent quest for answers shed light on the rare condition, offering support and hope for others living with PMO.
“This has blown up far more than my expectations. It’s a little overwhelming but exciting at the same time to think that, maybe it’s going to help somebody,” he said.
