nick
March 3rd, 2010, 03:04 AM
A 14-month-old boy born without pores in his skin has baffled medics by developing fish scales.
Doctors believe Song Sheng, of Jinhu, eastern China, may be suffering from a rare genetic condition that means his body cannot cool itself.
Song Sheng - called fish boy by locals - began developing scales within days of his birth caused by his lack of pores.
Doctors say because he cannot sweat or lose heat through his skin, it peels away in fish-like scales.
Instead, his family controls his body temperature by laying him in baths of ice.
Song Dehui, his father, said: "He is in a lot of pain all the time and if we don't have enough ice he gets a fever."
But doctors have told the family there is still no known cure for the genetic condition, known as Lamellar ichthyosis.
"It can be treated but not cured so we are praying for a miracle or a folk medicine cure," his father said.
Source, with photograph here (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7344225/Boy-develops-fish-scales-at-14-months-old.html). You may find the photograph upsettiing.
Doctors believe Song Sheng, of Jinhu, eastern China, may be suffering from a rare genetic condition that means his body cannot cool itself.
Song Sheng - called fish boy by locals - began developing scales within days of his birth caused by his lack of pores.
Doctors say because he cannot sweat or lose heat through his skin, it peels away in fish-like scales.
Instead, his family controls his body temperature by laying him in baths of ice.
Song Dehui, his father, said: "He is in a lot of pain all the time and if we don't have enough ice he gets a fever."
But doctors have told the family there is still no known cure for the genetic condition, known as Lamellar ichthyosis.
"It can be treated but not cured so we are praying for a miracle or a folk medicine cure," his father said.
Source, with photograph here (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7344225/Boy-develops-fish-scales-at-14-months-old.html). You may find the photograph upsettiing.