Skin conditions are common among people of all ages.
However, some skin conditions are so rare and severe that they require specialized medical treatment.
The following seven skin diseases are so rare that you may have never heard of them at all.
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The disease is not life-threatening, but the discoloration of the skin can pose challenges in day-to-day life.
The pigmentation is permanent and almost untreatable.The prevalence of argyria is unknown.
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Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons
Symptoms
The main symptom of argyria is blue-gray, metallic, or slate-gray skin.
Risk Factors
The biggest risk factor is silver abundance in the body.
Laser therapy has also been explored as a viable option for the treatment of the disease.
DermNet NZ
Pain can be severe and last days after sun exposure.
Visible changes are mild in most cases.
Symptoms are worse in summer and sunny climates.
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Children and infants are found to develop symptoms early on in life when exposed to sunlight.
In very rare instances, EPP has been reported to have been sparked by myelodysplasia or myeloid leukemia.
There is no cure for EPP, so treatment is usually focused on symptom control.
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Iron supplementation should be avoided as iron can increase photosensitivity in EPP.
Afamelanotide has been reported to be effective for EPP.
It is approved for the treatment of EPP under orphan drug status.
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People with EPP who also have liver disease require specialist medical treatment and possibly a liver transplant.
The condition affects one in every 500,000 babies born every year in the United States.
The likelihood of having a rare skin disorder is 25% if both parents pass down the gene.
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If only one parent has the gene, its unlikely that the condition will develop.
Antibiotic treatment is needed to prevent or treat infections at this time.
Elastoderma
Elastoderma is a rare skin disorder that causes extreme looseness in the skin.
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The main symptom of elastoderma is loose skin that sags or hangs in folds.
The skin is not stretchy and can often appear wrinkled.
Other symptoms include:
Most people with the skin condition will have one or more symptoms.
Eczema and bacterial infections on the upper layer of the skin have also been found in those with elastoderma.
The cause of elastoderma is largely unknown.
It is not clear what causes this increase in elastin in people with this condition.
There is no known cure for elastoderma.
The exact cause of IGD is unknown, but this condition has been associated with otherautoimmune diseases.
Research has suggested that it is a cutaneous form of rheumatoid arthritis.
Treatment options for the disease are typically topical steroids or hydroxychloroquine.
The throw in of pemphigus depends on where the blisters form, and some are fatal if left untreated.
Older adults tend to have this condition, but it can affect people at any age.
The prevalence increases with age, and both men and women were affected equally.
The main symptom of pemphigus is blisters on the skin that rupture and become open sores.
Blisters can appear suddenly and spread, and can linger for years.
Sores heal slowly, and when they heal, they turn into a dark spot.
Pemphigus foliaceus affects only the skin and often develops on the face, scalp, and upper body.
There is also drug-induced pemphigus, which is.
a result of taking certain medications.
Otherwise, treatment is typically through medication, wound care, andlifestyle changes.
The wounds are treated similarly to severe burns.
They will be cleaned and protected from further contamination.
Antibiotic medications will also be applied to the wounds to prevent infections.
Some medications used to help control symptoms include:
Soft diets may help until the lesions heal.
Some foods may trigger the onset of more sores, including garlic, onions, and leeks.
Occasionally, peeling may also occur on the arms and legs.
The peeling is made worse by heat, humidity, and other forms of moisture and friction.
Other symptoms may include:
The affected areas typically heal without scarring.
There is no cure for acral peeling skin syndrome.
Typically, the best time to apply creams is when the skin is moist following a bath.
If blister develop, they may be lanced with a sterile needle.
Light dressings should be applied to prevent infection.
Harlequin ichthyosis is because of mutations affecting the ABCA12 gene.
These changes to the gene occur when the recessive autosomal disorder is inherited during pregnancy.
It is possible for people to live to adulthood with harlequin ichthyosis.
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