26-year-old Nguyen Thi Phuong, who turned into an old woman virtually overnight possibly due to mastocytosis, was admitted to Ho Chi Minh City University medical center this afternoon for treatment.

Based on the skin test results, Dr. Minh believed Phuong suffered from mastocytosis, a disorder caused by the presence of too many mast cells, leading to a number of symptoms like skin lesions, diarrhea, abdominal discomforts and other infections.

He said the surgery has 50-70 percent likelihood of success.

Phuong’s travails began in 2008 when she developed an allergic reaction to eating seafood. When Western medicines did not work, she switched to Chinese traditional medicine. But soon her body began to swell and cracks appear on her hands, legs, underarms, and groin.

As the condition worsened, her skin started to turn wrinkled and saggy, making the 23-year-old look like an old woman.