Table of contents:
1- What is ichthyosis?
2- Prognosis of ichthyosis
3- Symptoms of ichthyosis
4- Medical tests to diagnose ichthyosis
5- What are the causes?
6- Can ichthyosis be prevented?
7- Treatments for ichthyosis
8- Which specialist treats this disease?
What is ichthyosis?
Ichthyosis is a rare disease, affecting only 1 in 250 people. There are 36 types of ichthyosis with similar characteristics such as skin dryness, skin thickening, severe desquamation, redness, sweating alteration, heat intolerance or lack of body temperature regulation.
There is currently no cure for ichthyosis and treatments are indicated to calm the symptoms.
One of the most prevalent types of ichthyosis is non-syndromic vulgaris. In addition, there are autosomal recessive, harlequin, lamellar, congenital and epidermolytic ichthyoses, among others.
Prognosis of ichthyosis
Most cases of ichthyosis are mild and do not present serious complications.
In some cases, ichthyosis is associated with other problems such as the appearance of wounds and blisters, excessive itching, eye problems such as inflammation of the eyelids and cornea or conjunctivitis, hearing problems due to excess skin and earwax in the ear canals, limited joint mobility and psychological disorders.
Symptoms of ichthyosis
This disease usually manifests with the following signs:
– Dry, scaly skin
– Scaly scalp
– White, brown or gray scales on the skin
– Cracks in the skin
Lesions usually appear on the elbows and lower legs.
Medical tests to diagnose ichthyosis
In many cases ichthyosis may not be diagnosed until the first few years of a person’s life, as symptoms usually develop after birth.
In general, a dermatology specialist should perform a skin analysis and perform certain tests such as a skin biopsy.
Ichthyosis is a rare disease and affects only 1 in 250 people.
What are the causes of ichthyosis?
The most common ichthyosis is hereditary and is due to an accumulation of skin cells in thick, dry scales.
In general, the appearance of this disease is due to a genetic mutation inherited from the parents. If only one of the parents had the pathology, the son or daughter will develop mild ichthyosis. However, those who receive mutated genes from both parents have a greater tendency to develop more advanced ichthyosis.
On the other hand, there are other types of ichthyosis that do not respond to genetic factors and are called acquired ichthyosis. They are frequently associated with other pathologies such as HIV, cancer or thyroid disease.
Can it be prevented?
As it is in most cases a hereditary disease, it cannot be prevented. However, it is possible to control the scaling and dryness of the skin to varying degrees.
Treatment of ichthyosis
There are no treatments to cure or treat ichthyosis although, depending on the degree of affectation of the pathology, a series of habits can be followed that can improve the patient’s quality of life. Among them, the most recommended are baths, exfoliating creams and products and retinoids.
Many people suffering from this pathology are relieved by taking a bath 1 or 2 times a day, since it moisturizes the skin and facilitates exfoliation.
As for the use of creams, those containing alpha hydroxy acids, lactic acid or glycolic acid are recommended, as they are beneficial for controlling skin moisture and desquamation.
Finally, there are some medications, called retinoids, which provide vitamin A and help reduce the number of skin cells.
What specialist treats ichthyosis?
Since it is a skin pathology, the doctors who treat ichthyosis are specialists in dermatology.