Dr. Piranha Will See You Now
Tuesday, May 15, 2007; Page HE02
  At a hot spring resort in Chongqing, "doctor fish" nibble on the feet of people with skin diseases to remove dead skin. (China Photos/getty Images) REPORTER'S QUERY The Washington Post is looking for challenging medical cases--ones that have been resolved but in which the patient's symptoms were puzzling to doctors or suggested an immediate diagnosis that would have been wrong.
Patients must have medical records documenting their care, and must be willing to share them with a reporter. Please include day and evening phone numbers and an e-mail address. E-mail medicalmysteries@washpost.com with your name and details. Please put "Medical Mystery" in the subject line. |
The bathers pictured above, in Chongqing, China, aren't just pleasure-seekers. They're also lunch for a breed of small freshwater fish that devour dead skin. Exfoliation by fish, popular in some parts of Europe and Asia, can temporarily ease the symptoms of such skin disorders as psoriasis. Dermatology professor David Pariser at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk says removing the scales caused by psoriasis may make skin appear healthier; also, he said, spa water sometimes contains selenium, a mineral used to treat dandruff, which may offer some relief. But the scales will eventually return, he said, and the fish technique probably works no better than more conventional treatments such as UV phototherapy and topical ointments.
-- Kathleen Hom
Post a Comment
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.