Ichthyosis

[Rando21]

I found some odd looking skin and discovered it was likely ichthyosis which apparently can develop in CLL patents. Anyone had any experience with this condition? Any suggestions or cautions?

[lankisterguy Volunteer]

Hi Rando21,

WebMD says: webmd.com/skin-problems-and...

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What Is Ichthyosis?

Ichthyosis is a group of about 20 skin conditions that cause skin dryness and scaling. The condition gets its name from the Greek word for fish, because the skin looks like fish scales. You might also hear it called fish scale or fish skin disease.

People with this condition lose the protective barrier that keeps moisture in their skin. They also make new skin cells too quickly or shed old cells too slowly. This leads to a buildup of thick, scaly skin. Most cases of ichthyosis are mild.

Ichthyosis can't be cured, but treatments can relieve the scaling and make you feel more comfortable.

Types of Ichthyosis

Some types only cause dry and scaly skin. Others cause problems inside the body, too.

Most forms of the disease are very rare. The two most common types are:

Ichthyosis vulgaris. It affects about 1 out of every 250 people. Gray, brown, or white scales can show up in early childhood.

X-linked recessive ichthyosis. It affects about 1 out of 6,000 people, but only males. It can raise your risk for testicular cancer. Women can be carriers and may have labor problems.

Ichthyosis Causes

X-linked ichthyosis. X-linked ichthyosis is a rare genetic skin disorder in which skin cells don’t properly separate or shed. This leaves behind rough, dark, scaly skin. While this photo shows it on the legs of a patient, it is most commonly found on the trunk of the body or the neck. It is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme steroid sulphatase. Only males are affected, although women can be carriers. While creams and emollients to exfoliate and hydrate the skin can help, there is no cure.

Inherited ichthyosis is a genetic condition. That means it’s passed down to you from your parents. Genes are the codes that tell your body to make proteins, which determine how your body looks and functions. When there are changes or mutations to a gene, it can cause disease. Ichthyosis gene mutations affect the proteins that protect your skin and keep it moist. They also affect how quickly your body sheds or grows new skin cells.

Ichthyosis usually shows up in early childhood. If both of your parents have the gene, you’re likely to have a more serious condition than if only one of them has the gene.

Acquired ichthyosis shows up in adulthood. Doctors don’t know what causes it, but people with it often have other conditions, including:

Underactive thyroid gland

Kidney disease

Sarcoidosis, a rare disease that causes patches of inflammation inside the body

Cancer such as Hodgkin lymphoma

HIV infection

Some medicines might also trigger the condition:

Cancer drugs such as hydroxyurea (Droxia, Hydrea), protease inhibitors (a group of drugs used to treat HIV infections), and vemurafenib ( Zelboraf).

Nicotinic acid, which is used to treat high cholesterol

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My reply to a post from 20 days ago might be useful: healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

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Especially: The NIH has several papers suggesting that CLL itself leads to skin issues, as noted here:

healthunlocked.com/redirect...

SNIP: "Cutaneous lesions occur in up to 25% of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These can be caused by either cutaneous seeding by leukemic cells (leukemia cutis, LC) and other malignant diseases or nonmalignant disorders. Skin infiltration with B-lymphocyte CLL manifests as solitary, grouped, or generalized papules, plaques, nodules, or large tumors.....The most common secondary cutaneous changes seen in CLL are those of infectious or hemorrhagic origin. Other secondary lesions present as vasculitis, purpura, generalized pruritus, exfoliative erythroderma, and paraneoplastic pemphigus. An exaggerated reaction to an insect bite and insect bite-like reactions have been also observed".

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Our archives has over 950 postings that mention skin issues and CLL:

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

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Len