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Fish scale is a group of genetically determined skin diseases in the course of which changes appearing on the body resembling a fish scale. Fish scale is a very troublesome disease that can be struggled with even throughout your life. What other troublesome symptoms does ichthyosis give? How is the treatment of this group of diseases going?
Fish scaleis a rare group of genetically determined skin diseases (the so-calledgenodermatoses ). Their essence is excessive and abnormal keratinization of the epidermis with simultaneous disturbance of its removal, as a result of which changes resembling fish scales appear on the skin. It is worth emphasizing that such skin lesions cannot be infected.
Depending on the type of ichthyosis, skin lesions may appear all over the body or cover only parts of the skin on the arms and legs, develop at different ages and take many forms.
Fish scale - causes
Fish scale may be inherited or the result of a genetic mutation. There is also an acquired form of the disease, which occurs mainly in debilitated people whose organism is debilitated, e.g. in the course of cancer (especially Hodgkin's disease). Fish scale can also be a consequence of malabsorption syndrome, ulcerative colitis and liver disease.
Fish scale - types and symptoms
Fish scalesis the most common form of the disease: it affects 1 in 300-1000 people. This form of ichthyosis is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, which means that genes are inherited regardless of gender (both males and females can carry a gene with a mutation). In addition, it is enough to pass on only one copy of the gene that determines the occurrence of the disease for the symptoms of the disease to appear.
Fish scale appears as early as around 1 year of age, and usually disappears during adolescence. A characteristic symptom of the disease are yellow or brown patches (made up of keratinized cells of the superficial layers of the epidermis), several millimeters to several centimeters in size, which resemble ichthyosis. However, if you look closely at them, you will notice that the scales do not overlap like fish, but lie next to each other and rather resemble evenly arranged paving stones. These changes are usually located in thein the area of the chest, back, upper and lower limbs. In this form of the disease, changes do not appear in the flexion surfaces of the elbow and knee joints. Common scales of fish often coexist with follicular keratosis, hyperkeratosis of the skin of the inner surfaces of the hands and feet, and atopic dermatitis.
Fish scale with recessive inheritancesex-related (X-chromosomal) - this type of ichthyosis occurs only in 1 in 6,000 men (women only carry the defective gene). Large, brown scales appear at birth. These changes affect the skin of the entire body, as well as the armpits, groin, and elbow and knee bends, and they worsen with age.
Additionally, there are visual disturbances (keratitis, cataracts), locomotor system (cartilage and bone development disorders, atrophy or underdevelopment of muscles), hearing (deafness), and central nervous system (muscle spasms and mental retardation).
The hedgehogis inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. The lesions cover small areas of the skin and take the form of linear or tree-shaped papillary and keratinized outgrowths.
Ichthyotic erythrodermamanifests itself already at birth. Severe forms can cause the death of a newborn in the first days of life, and even death of the fetus while still in the womb. The skin of the sick is entirely covered with horny layers, which, when cracking, produce white and then brown plates, which resemble an armor. Serum-bloody discharge seeps from between the skin plates. Moreover, patients often have a distorted face (curled eyelids and lips, a flattened nose, deformed ears). There are also contractures that distort the hands and feet.
Fish scale: treatment
There are no known methods of curing the disease. Treatment is only about relieving symptoms and usually lasts a lifetime. One method of treatment is drug administration. In this case, remember that you must not reduce the so-called maintenance dose of medications taken orally, as symptoms will worsen. Sometimes steroids are also used. In addition, special exfoliating ointments with the addition of salicylic acid and urea are used. Relief should also be provided by bathing in water with the addition of table s alt. It is worth knowing that hedgehog ichthyosis, limited to small areas of the skin, can be treated surgically.
Acquired fish scale usually resolves spontaneously after the cause of its appearance has been eliminated, i.e. the underlying disease has been cured. If there is a diseaseincurable, it is necessary to use local treatment.