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The patient is a 6-week-old boy.  He has significant problems, but he is taken to the ophthalmologist because of the parents' concerns that the eyes are drying out due to exposure.  This disease has occurred in several males on the mother’s side.

1.	This child’s condition is called:
	a -- ichtyosis or ichtyosiform erythroderma This is icthyosis or ichtysioform disease.
2.	The condition is most likely to be inherited as:
	c -- X linked If this appears only in males there is a possibility that this could be transmitted as an X linked (sex linked) recessive.
3.	Treatment would be carried out with:
	d -- simple emollients like petroleum jelly or mineral oil with antibiotics if infected plus preservative free lubricants for the eye The treatment is with simple emollients like petroleum jelly or mineral oil with antibiotics applied to the fissures if they become infected.  Also, non-preservative eye lubricants should be used as needed. If cicatricial ectropian develops, it may be necessary to perform surgery on the eye lids using full thickness skin grafts.  These can come from the patient’s post auricular area, groin or forearm. The following answer was provided by a consultant dermatologist: "The photos are most likely nonbullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, also called collodion baby. At birth the child is encased in a cellophane-like mebrane, which as it sheds leaves red patches and fissures. Ectropion is common. I'm not sure of the inheritance. Treatment: use simple emollients like petroleum jelly or mineral oil, and treat fissures with topical antibiotics if infected."  [Pat Logan, MD]