Kids suffering from ‘fish scale disease’ in Vietnam highlands Sa Min (second left), 10, and his youngest brother Li Luan (second right), 3, are shown sitting between their siblings. Tuoi Tre Two kids, including a toddler, in Lam Dong Province in the Central Highlands have suffered from the severe form of ichthyosis vulgaris – a rare, painful skin condition – since birth.  Sa Min, 10, and his three-year-old youngest brother, Li Luan, who are living with their family in the province’s Don Duong District, are called “merman boys” by villagers. The brothers were born to Ha Hoang, 31, and Ta Ni. The couple got married 10 years ago when Hoang’s wife was only 15. They gave birth to their healthy eldest daughter. However, in 2004, the couple were shocked to see Sa Min, their second newborn. After being born half a day, Sa Min’s skin started to get dry, with scale-like flakes gradually appearing all over his body. His eyes got red and his facial skin became so taut that it bled, causing the infant to sob in pain. Believing that her son was a freak, Sa Min’s mother fainted several times, until the couple were told that their baby suffers from a rare skin condition. The two went on to have two more children. One of them, Li Luan, has the same skin condition. The family faces malignant rumors spread by unkind neighbors. Their sons are also alienated and scorned by their peers, and worse, they are tortured by the intolerable pain when night falls. “When they’re asleep, the itch causes them to scratch strongly, making the scales come off and their skin bleed. Worse, Li Luan’s eyes can’t close for several hours as the skin on his eyelids is so taut,” the mother sadly said. At three, Li Luan still cannot speak or walk as the tough, black scales keep spreading all over his body, leaving his limbs so frail. The brothers are taken to hospital by their parents once a month. As there is no cure yet, the boys are on medication just to relieve the pain and itches. Over the past 10 years, Ha Hoang and his wife have borrowed more than VND200 million (US$9,414) to seek treatment for their young sons. “Now that no one lends us money anymore, my wife and I have to work hard and take them to a specialized hospital in Ho Chi Minh City once a month. We spend some VND3 million ($141) on their medication and treatment fees each month,” Ha Hoang said. According to Dr. Nguyen Quoc Minh, director of the Lam Dong Center of Social Disease Prevention and Treatment, Sa Min and Li Luan suffer from fish scale disease, or ichthyosis vulgaris. Ichthyosis vulgaris is a rare hereditary skin condition that causes dry, dead skin cells to accumulate in patches on the surface of the skin, according to Healthline, a privately-owned provider of health information in the U.S. The dead skin accumulates in a pattern similar to a fish’s scales, Healthline says, adding that while a number of cases are mild and confined to specific body areas, others are severe and can cover large areas, including the abdomen, back, arms, and legs. The disease can be present at birth, but usually first appear during early childhood, according to Mayo Clinic, a U.S.-based nonprofit medical practice and medical research group. Some may never have symptoms again, but for others, it can return during adulthood, Healthline says. The disease is only present among males and patients of leprosy, HIV/AIDS, cancer and endocrine illnesses, according to Dr. Minh. Tuoi Tre News