Ichthyosis

Ichthyosis is a group of skin disorders characterized by dry, itchy skin that appears scaly, rough, and red.

Ichthyosis

Disease severity

• The symptoms can range from mild to severe.
• Ichthyosis can affect only the skin
• However, rarely, the disease can affect internal organs, too.

• == Risk factors ==
• Anyone can get ichthyosis.
• The disease usually runs in families
• Some people can be the first in a family to develop ichthyosis.

Types

There are over 20 different types of ichthyosis. The type of ichthyosis one has depends on:

• Changed gene that caused the disorder.
• How it is passed down in your family by looking at your family tree.
• Symptoms, including how bad they and which organs they affect.
• Age when symptoms first appeared.

Ichthyosis 1

Symptoms

The symptoms of ichthyosis can range from mild to severe. The most common symptoms include:

• Dry skin.
• Itching.
• Redness of the skin.
• Cracking of the skin.
• Scales on the skin that are white, gray, or brown.
• Depending on the type of ichthyosis, other symptoms may include:
• Blisters that can break, leading to wounds.
• Hair loss or fragile hair.
• Dry eyes and difficulty closing eyelids.
• Inability to sweat because skin scales clog the sweat glands.
• Difficulty hearing.
• Thickening of the skin on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
• Tightening of the skin.
• Difficulty flexing some joints.
• Open wounds from scratching itchy skin.

Causes

• Ichthyosis is an inherited genetic condition.
• Changes to one or more genes cause all of the inherited types of ichthyosis.
• Genes carry information that determines which features are passed to you from your parents.
• We have two copies of our genes—one from each parent.
• You may get this changed gene from one or both parents, or the gene might stop working properly on its own.

Some people get ichthyosis because they have another medical condition or experience a side effect from a medication.

Harlequin ichthyosis

Tests

Although there is no one test, these tests are routinely offered.

• Asking about your family and medical history, including any skin disorders.  
• Doing a physical exam, which includes looking at your skin, hair, and nails.  
• Performing a skin biopsy to examine the tissue under a microscope.
• Ordering a genetic test to see if you have a changed gene.

Treatment

• Although there is currently no cure for ichthyosis, the goals of treatment include reducing the redness of the skin, thickness of the scales, and itching. Treatments can include:
• Using creams, lotions, or ointments on moist skin to help trap moisture in the skin and relieve dryness and scaling.  
• Taking long baths to soften and release scales.
• Taking a type of medication that can decrease scaling.
• Using prescription creams or ointments.