There are a great many people who are dwarfs. Dwarfism is caused by a genetic disorder and is not treatable. There are many different types of dwarfism, with some causing the body to stop growing at an extremely early age. Read about the shortest man here and woman here. A typical dwarf is someone who as an adult has a height below 147 cm (4 ft 10 in). On the opposite end of this scale are giants. A giant, or a person who has the condition of gigantism is characterized by a person who stands between 2.13 m (7 feet) (84 inches) and 2.74 m (9 feet) (108 inches) in height. The condition is caused by an over production of growth hormone, usually during childhood. You can only suffer from one condition, not both. Except for one man. He was the only man ever to be both a dwarf and a giant during his lifetime.
Adam Rainer was the only man ever to be both a giant and a dwarf during his lifetime. In 1917, when he was 18 years old, he was measured at 122.55 cm (4 ft 0.25 in). As we said above, a dwarf is someone who measures below 147 cm as an adult, which he did. But he wasn’t to stay a dwarf for long. He soon shot past a normal height to become a giant.
It is believed that at some point after he turned 18 that Adam Rainer developed a tumor on his pituitary gland. This tumor increased the amount of growth hormone in his body and caused hm to grow at an exaggerated rate. By 1931, a mere 14 years later his height had shot up to an amazing 218 cm (7 ft 2 in). So within only 14 years, Adam Rainer had become the only man to be both a dwarf and a giant.
His rapid growth had other dramatic side effects too. He would remain bedridden for the remainder of his life due to his dramatic growth. When he died in 1950 he had reached a height of 234 cm (7 ft 8 in). His feet measured 33.3 cm (13.1 inches), and his hands were 23.9 cm (9.4 inches).
