A woman who smells of rotting fish has been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition after 30 years of being dismissed as a hypochondriac.
The 41-year-old suffered decades of bullying and low self-esteem because of her pungent odour, but doctors refused to take her complaints seriously, believing she was a hygiene neurotic.
She has now been diagnosed with trimethylaminuria, a genetic condition that affects the smell of sweat, breath and urine.
The condition – also known as fish malodour syndrome – is incurable, but the patient from Perth, Australia has been able to seek counselling and support from fellow sufferers.
Professor John Burnett, head of pharmacology at the University of Western Australia, said that the case was a warning to doctors not to dismiss conditions that appear minor but have a great impact on the psychological health of patients.
Something
Fishy here.
Um, I'm not touching this one.
