Cryptic Conditions: Some Diagnoses Are Stranger Than Fiction (Ep. 48)

This Halloween, The Med Edit Podcast brings you a spine-tingling medical special!

Join Dr. Jessica Gray and Dr. Cari Sorrell as they uncover the eerie side of evidence-based medicine — real-life conditions that inspired some of the world’s most famous myths.

From “vampires” and “werewolves” to “corpses that rise again,” these cases prove that truth can be far stranger (and scarier) than fiction.

In This Episode, We Cover:

Case 1: The Woman Who Couldn’t Step Into the Light

A modern-day “vampire”? Discover the truth behind porphyria, a rare metabolic disorder that once inspired centuries of blood-drinking folklore.

Case 2: The Corpse That Moved

A 91-year-old woman declared dead suddenly woke up in a morgue — all thanks to accidental hypothermia and the body’s shocking ability to survive extreme cold.

Case 3: When the Body Turns Against You

Meet a teenager “allergic” to water. Aquagenic urticaria is so rare that fewer than 50 cases exist worldwide — and every drop feels like fire.

Case 4: The Man of the Woods

The “werewolf” of Renaissance Europe wasn’t a monster — he had hypertrichosis, a rare genetic condition that causes excessive hair growth across the entire body.

AND MORE!

Why You’ll Love This Episode:

• It’s spooky and smart — medical mysteries that sound like horror stories but are grounded in science.
• Perfect for Halloween or anyone fascinated by the strange, rare, and unbelievable in medicine.
• Real lessons in diagnosis, physiology, and how folklore and fear once filled the gaps before modern medicine.

Resources Mentioned:

• Mayo Clinic: Porphyria Overview
• Johns Hopkins: Therapeutic Hypothermia After Cardiac Arrest
• Allergy & Asthma Network: Aquagenic Urticaria
• USA Today: The Real “Werewolf Syndrome” Outbreak

Key Takeaways:

• Sometimes, medical conditions create legends.
• The line between myth and medicine is thinner than you think.
• Always rewarm before you pronounce — and never underestimate the human body’s resilience.

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

Clinicians — claim your CME credit for listening!

https://cmetracker.net/TTUHSC/Publisher?page=pubOpen&nc=7120399723#/myPortal

https://media.blubrry.com/3214432/content.blubrry.com/3214432/Episode_48-Handout.pdf

 

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LinkedIn: Dr. Jessica Gray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Jessica-gray-md/

LinkedIn: Dr. Cari Sorrell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cari-sorrell-42545a7b/