Collodion baby: a follow‐up study of 17 cases

Abstract

Seventeen cases of collodion baby are reported. Clinical aspects, complications, treatment, final outcome and family history were studied. We did not observe any clinical features in the collodion baby that could serve as a clue in predicting the final diagnosis. Infections were observed in nine, hypothermia in five and hypernatraemic dehydration in four cases. Skin infection mainly occurred in babies treated with emollients (petrolatum, lanolin and cetomacrogolis cream were used). We therefore recommend treating the collodion baby in a humidified incubator, if necessary with intravenous rehydration, but not to use emollients. The final outcome of these study patients was erythrodermic autosomal recessive lamellar ichthyosis in seven cases (41%), non-erythrodermic autosomal recessive lamellar ichthyosis in three cases (18%), Sjögren-Larsson in one case (6%), epidermolytic hyperkeratosis in one case (6%), acute neonatal variant of Gaucher disease in one case (6%) and normal skin in four cases (24%).

Expedient Treatment of a Collodion Baby

“…The findings of van Gysel et al corresponded closely with those of Larregue et al with the most common outcome of collodion babies being erythrodermic autosomal recessive lamellar ichthyosis in 7 of 17 children (43% of cases), followed by nonerythrodermic autosomal recessive lamellar ichthyosis in 3 of 17 children (19% of cases), and other forms in 2 of 17 children (12% of cases). In 4 of 17 children (10% of cases), they found that the skin eventually developed normally, therein giving rise to a self-healing collodion phenotype, as is the case with our patient [1,8].…”

“…The ears can appear malformed, the eyelids can be everted (ectropion), and the lips can be everted, giving a "fish mouth" appearance (eclabium) [6]. Due to the impairment of the skin barrier function, collodion babies are at risk for a number of complications, including hypernatremic dehydration, hypothermia, skin infections, fissures, conjunctivitis, sepsis, dehydration, and constrictive bands of the extremities resulting in vascular compromise and edema [1,5]. The edema in the patient described here was thought to be due to either hypoproteinemia or mechanical compression by the collodion membrane.…”

“…Only ∼270 cases of collodion babies have been reported in the literature since 1892, when the term was first introduced by Hallopeau and Watelet [1,2]. Collodion baby is a prodromal stage that precedes the true underlying disease entity.…”

Harlequin Ichthyosis: Case Report of a rare disorder and Stigma attached to it

“…Bullous skin lesions may be seen specially around the large joints. The common complications seen in these babies include dehydration due to fluid loss, anaemia due to blood loss, skin infections and sepsis due to loss of skin barrier, electrolyte imbalance, exposure keratitis due to ectropion, respiratory insufficiency due to tout skin over chest, hypothermia, hypoglycaemia and renal failure [11] .…”

Rare case of Neonatal Lamellar Ichthyosis - Collodian baby

“…This can lead to hypothermia and dehydration. 7 Strategies to prevent these problems are the use of emollients or nursing the baby in a humidified incubator. 8 There is also an increased risk of skin infection and mechanical compression, leading to problems like limb ischemia.…”