Kava dermopathy in Fiji: an acquired ichthyosis?

[lamellar ichthyosis]

Kava dermopathy is a common cutaneous effect of regular or heavy use of Kava , a psychoactive beverage consumed widely throughout the Pacific . In Fiji in 2012 , over 1000 study participants underwent full skin examination , and kava dermopathy was a common cutaneous finding . The clinical manifestations of kava dermopathy share similarities with the spectrum of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyoses , predominantly lamellar ichthyosis . The pathogenesis of Kava dermopathy may be associated with a functional defect in one or more cytochrome P 450 enzymes implicated in epidermal integrity , thus mimicking the genetic defect as seen in lamellar ichthyosis type 3 .