Discussion
Ichthyosis comprises several forms of chronic diseases mainly presenting as extensive scaling, hyperkeratosis, fissuring, and pruritis of the skin. The disease ultimately impairs the protective barrier of the epidermis, mainly the stratum granulosum and stratum corneum layers, leading to the symptoms described above. (6)
Ichthyosis can solely present as skin manifestations (non-syndromic) or along with the involvement of other organs (syndromic). Various genetic mutations have been discovered that contribute to isolated autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis. (7–10) These can then be phenotypically subdivided into lamellar, erythrodermic, or other forms of ichthyosis. (9)
Moreover, varying neurologic symptoms have been reported with syndromic ichthyosis (neuro-ichthyotic syndromes). (1)
There are few reports of ichthyosis with MS. Capra et al. (12) reports two sisters with congenital ichthyosis and MS back in 1993. One of the cases was diagnosed with MS after lower limb paresthesia and the other experienced right optic neuritis. Both cases were known cases of congenital ichthyosis that later developed MS. They were also found to have coagulation factor VIII deficiency. Although in our case ichthyosis and MS were both present, no other abnormalities such as coagulation factor deficiencies were found.
No underlying genetic correlation between ichthyosis and multiple sclerosis has been elucidated until now. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease stemming from the interaction of several genetic factors. Therefore, further cases may provide clues to any common genetic links between the two diseases and provide useful guidance regarding disease pathology and effective therapy.