Topical cholesterol treatment of recessive X-linked ichthyosis.

In an open prospective half-side trial, creams containing 10% cholesterol or 10% urea were applied to lesions in 20 steroid-sulphatase-deficient male patients with recessive X-linked ichthyosis. In 18 there was a good response to the cholesterol cream. In 13 patients the response to cholesterol was better than that to urea. None showed a better response to urea than to cholesterol. A reduction in the cholesterol content of the stratum corneum may be responsible for abnormal cornification in recessive X-linked ichthyosis.