X-linked ichthyosis X-linked ichthyosis X-linked ichthyosis (XLI) (also known as ") is a skin condition caused by the hereditary deficiency of the steroid sulfatase (STS) enzyme that affects 1 in 2000 to 1 in 6000 males. XLI manifests with dry, scaly skin and is due to deletions or mutations in the "STS" gene. XLI can also occur in the context of larger deletions causing contiguous gene syndromes. Treatment is largely aimed at alleviating the skin symptoms. The term is from the Ancient Greek 'ichthys' meaning 'fish'. The major symptoms of XLI include scaling of the skin, particularly on the neck, trunk, and
The Body Silent The Body Silent The Body Silent is a personal narrative written by Robert Murphy, a professor at Columbia University. This piece is a narrative of personal struggle through a spinal condition, published in 1987 by Henry Holt and Company, Inc. He uses this narrative to tell his journey through a deteriorating spinal condition leading to paraplegia. He was diagnosed with a tumor extending from his second cervical vertebra to the eighth thoracic vertebra in 1972. Through his narrative he tells his medical history and how the diagnosis of old medicine (late 1920s) knew very little about neurology, and left undetected