Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Harlequin-type ichthyosis is a congenital skin disease in which a baby's skin is in the form of bony plates similar to nail. The skin does not fold, but cracks, resulting in gross lacerations and malformations all over the body. The face is particularly gruesomely affected. The disease is named for a resemblance between the infant's everted and bleeding eyelids and lips and the red makeup of a harlequin. Infants born with this disease usually die within 48 hours, due to dehydration and inability to take nourishment with the hard, everted lips. Some have survived for longer periods; one surviving case was recently described in Orange County. The disease has been known at least since 1750. External links A Case Of Harlequin Fetus With Psoriasis In His Family. Article from the Internet Journal of Pediatrics and Neonatology; includes graphic photographs. Harlequin Ichthyosis (Warning: Not a medical site; graphic photographs displayed as a curiosity.) This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.