Li Zhibing, a 62-year-old man in Shiyan, Central China’s Hubei Province, has been living with a horn growing from his neck since 1980. Photo: Chutian Metropolis Daily

 
An man who has lived with a thick horn growing from his neck for over 30 years said his greatest wish is to know what caused it, the Chutian Metropolis Daily reported.

Li Zhibing, 62-year-old resident of Shiyan, Hubei Province, explained friends use a saw to help him cut the horn to a nub twice a year, or else his neck becomes swollen and runs a fever if it grows too long.

Li said he discovered the beginnings of the unusual growth in 1980. After attempting to treating it with herbs from the mountains near his home, the horn grew an astonishing 15 centimeters perpendicularly from the nape of his neck.

For the past 35 years, Li has suspected it was the home remedy he used that caused the horn to grow.

Li said the horn is not an inconvenience - except for when he washes his hair and gets dressed. And his shocking appearance.

Although it is unclear what is causing Li’s growth, it resembles a cutaneous horn.

These horn-shaped protrusions are in fact concentrated deposits of keratin, or the protein that promotes hair and nail growth. Though they usually develop in adults over 55 years old, large protrusions such as Li’s are rare.

Cutaneous horns can be surgically removed.