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Harlequin baby: a case report
S Singalavanija1, V Sangtawesin, S Horpoapan
1Dermatology Division, Children's Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
Harlequin fetus is a rare and the most severe form of congenital ichthyosis. Most of the infants die within a few weeks after birth due to sepsis and respiratory difficulties. The case of a female harlequin baby is reported. The baby survived because of good neonatal intensive care, topical emollients and oral etretinate. Now she is over three years old and the skin developed into congenital non-bullous ichthyosiform erythroderma. Unfortunately she had delayed growth and development. This is the first case report of a harlequin fetus in Thailand that had prolonged survival.
Harlequin fetus is a rare and the most severe form of congenital ichthyosis. Most of the infants die within a few weeks after birth due to sepsis and respiratory difficulties. The case of a female harlequin baby is reported. The baby survived because of good neonatal intensive care, topical emollients and oral etretinate. Now she is over three years old and the skin developed into congenital non-bullous ichthyosiform erythroderma. Unfortunately she had delayed growth and development. This is the first case report of a harlequin fetus in Thailand that had prolonged survival.
