Background: Collodion membrane in the neonate may be the initial presentation of a number of different conditions. There is a lack of data correlating the extent of clinical involvement to the underlying disease and prognosis.
Objective: We sought to identify features predictive of the final outcome and complications in a cohort of patients with collodion membrane, using a disease severity score.
Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of newborns with collodion membrane at a tertiary care institution over a period of 31 years. We designed and applied a 0- to 15-point severity score and correlated the results with the final diagnoses and complications. Data on demographics, membrane shedding, and treatment were collected.
Results: We identified 29 cases. Congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma and lamellar ichthyosis were the most common final diagnoses with 7 of 29 cases (24%) each; 3 patients were given the diagnosis of a syndromic ichthyosis. The classic nonsyndromic ichthyoses had higher average score results (7.33) than the syndromic ichthyoses (2.0) and other presentations (4.0), (P = .0097). Patients with major complications had higher, but nonsignificant, average severity scores (P = .64).
Limitations: The retrospective design and small number of patients with a syndromic ichthyosis are limitations.
Conclusions: Prospective studies are required to validate the proposed disease severity score.
Keywords: collodion baby; collodion membrane; congenital ichthyosis; disorders of cornification; neonatal diseases; nonsyndromic ichthyosis; syndromic ichthyosis.
Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.