Ichthyosis

[Michiko]

N. A congenital, often hereditary [skin disease] marked by dry, thickened, scaly skin. Also called [fishskin disease]. This disease is very rare, and has no current cure, only treatments.
See [Harlequin Fetus].

[Monty]

A congenital skin condition which causes the epidermis to become dry and horny like fish scales.

[Lizzy Liz]

Ichthyosis is scaling and flaking of the skin that ranges from mild but annoying dryness to severe and disfiguring skin disease.
(See also Itching and Dry Skin (Xeroderma).)
Ichthyosis is a form of severe dry skin. Ichthyosis causes scale to form on the skin in excessive amounts. Scale is areas of heaped-up, dead skin cells that appear as flaky, dry, rough patches.
Unlike xeroderma, which is ordinary dry skin, ichthyosis is dry skin that results from an inherited disorder (called inherited ichthyosis) or from a number of other disorders or drugs (called acquired ichthyosis).