Bones Variation
Accessory ossicles
Small extra bones, most often in the foot, that form when a growth centre never fuses with its main bone. They are harmless but can be mistaken for fractures on an X-ray.
Up to 1 in 5 feet
Things that alarm people and turn out to be harmless. Each entry says when a doctor is still a good idea.
Bones Variation
Small extra bones, most often in the foot, that form when a growth centre never fuses with its main bone. They are harmless but can be mistaken for fractures on an X-ray.
Up to 1 in 5 feet
Brain Perception
Objects, body parts, or the whole room suddenly look far too big, far too small, or far away. It mostly happens to children, often during a fever or infection, and it passes on its own. In adults it is usually linked to migraine.
6–7% of teenagers (size distortion)
Bones Variation
An extra rib above the normal top rib, growing from the lowest bone in the neck. About 1 in 100 people have one, and most never know.
About 1% of people
Brain Perception
People who lose a lot of their sight often start to see things that are not there: patterns, faces, small people in costume, whole landscapes. They know the images are not real. It is caused by the eyes, not the mind.
10–40% of older people with serious sight loss
Brain Involuntary
The world suddenly seems flat, distant, or like a film (derealization), or you feel like you are watching yourself from outside (depersonalization). Most people have a brief episode at some point, usually under stress.
50–75% of people, at least once
Muscle Variation
A widening of the gap between the two halves of the six-pack muscle, seen in nearly every pregnancy and in some men. A bulge down the midline when you sit up is the usual sign.
Almost all pregnancies; about 1 in 3 women a year after birth