Pan Xianhang Known As "Fish Boy" Suffers From Itchy Scale Skin Disease Ichthyosis

A youngster has been dubbed "Fish Boy" because he is covered head-to-toe in itchy scales.

Pan Xianhang, who is just 8 years old, was born with a rare and incurable genetic disease that sees skin cracking all over his body.

Unable to sleep at night, he suffers from overheating and the extreme urge to constantly scratch.

He also finds has limited mobility in his arms and legs.

The only relief from the ichthyosis comes if cold water or a thick medicinal cream is poured over his body.

His desperate mom is now begging doctors in her eastern province of Wenling to find a remedy that will let her little boy go to school "without unbearable pain."

The Huffington Post reports that worldwide 16,000 babies are born each year with some form of the disease, which can vary in the severity of its symptoms.