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HAVERI/BANGALORE: Like any five-year-old, this little girl too enjoys all things children enjoy at that age. But what worries her family is her complexion: half of her body turns red every day.

The medical fraternity says only 3 in 1,000 persons are afflicted with this rare dermatological condition commonly called the port wine stain.

Rajeshwari belongs to a humble family from Araleshwara village (Hanagal taluk). Her grandmother Sangavva said: "This colour change process starts with sunrise. The normal colour of half of the body turns red and the remaining half does not show any change. She has this problem since birth (congenital) and had not suffered any ailments associated with it. Rajeshwari sleeps well, plays and enjoys all other activities. Since the last two years we have been approaching doctors and they are unable to diagnose it."

WHY THIS CONDITION?

Skin specialist Dr Sanjay Dange said it appears to be capillaryhemangioma (or port wine stain). A port wine stain is a birthmark in which swollen blood vessels create a reddish-purplish discolouration of the skin. The stains are usually pink in appearance. As the child gets older, the colour may deepen to a dark red. They occur most often on the face, but can appear anywhere on the body. A skin biopsy may be needed. Treatments include surgery or radiation but laser therapy is most successful, he added.

Dr Krupa Shankar, consultant dermatologist at Manipal Hospital, said the child may have some kind of a severe vascular malfunction and spinal chord abnormality. "The important thing is to see what is the impact on the brain. She has to be taken to a radiologist and certain scans need to be done. Port wine stain is a milder version of this condition. But I am guessing this condition is more serious as it has spread across half of the body. If the skin becomes thicker and darker these vessels may burst," he said.

Stating that the condition is uncommon, he said: "In my career of a few decades, I have seen only four or five similar cases.’’

Dr Sudheendra Udbalkar, dermatologist, Fortis Hospitals, said it could be due to vascular naevus, a kind of a birthmark. "But very rarely one half of the body is affected like this. It could also be a melanocytic naevus where there is abnormal proliferation of blood vessels. A biopsy could help in detecting. I am not sure if this condition can be treated completely," he explained.