Congenital Reptilian Type Epidermal Scandendum , otherwise known as Croc Syndrome, is an incredibly rare, life-threatening genetic condition on Mobius A from Sonic the Hedgehog: Lost Chapters.
Origin
Over three thousand years ago, an alien race appeared on Mobius A in disguise as Mobians. They interbred with the population, with each resulting child bearing one allele for the harmful recessive gene. Currently, only about one in a million Mobians carries the gene. It requires both parents to carry the gene for the disease to manifest, and even if both parents have hybrid genes there is still only a 25% chance of resulting children developing the disease. Given the population of the kingdom was about three million, and the odds of a child being born with the disease were theoretically one in every eight million. Hence, nobody knew about or worried about the disease as it was of next to no concern.
Symptoms
The disease has only come up four known times in history. It is almost always fatal. Victims are born with an extreme lack of muscle or fat in their limbs and face, while their gut is fairly large. The ears are abnormally small, curved, and flat to the head. The eyes, snakelike, are almond-shaped, while the facial skin is pulled back, causing the shape of the eyes, as well as a wide, Joker-like mouth. The dermis is normal, though the epidermis is extremely thick, and grows dry, rough, and rock-hard. It forms several scale-like layers over the dermis. To cause bleeding is next to impossible, but when it occurs, immediate medical attention is needed to try to stop it. Sufferers also tend to have more or fewer fingers and toes than normal. The cardiac muscle is rather weak, and there is a large quantity of muscle in the area of the lungs, making breathing difficult. Sufferers who lived past their actual birth were reported to have had a bizarre structure of the trachea, causing a very deep and even more echoey voice. Two victims lived for about twelve hours before succumbing to inability to breathe or cardiac arrest. In Durendal’s case, he was immediately pronounced dead, though this was probably a mistake. There is another sufferer currently living, though he has not been identified.
Treatment
There is virtually no funding towards research into this disease, due to its rarity. Still, there is treatment available should a Mobian be unfortunate enough to be afflicted with this terrible disorder. Nothing can be done about the weak heart except replacing it if needed. There is no way yet to correct breathing, although if the patient lives more than 48 hours, they ought to be fine. A recently developed drug causes the excess layers of epidermis to flake off, after which a combination of ointments is used to give the remaining layer flexibility. Intensive physiotherapy and a special diet can properly balance and distribute fat and muscle. Regular injections of a powerful muscle relaxant can be used to give the face a normal shape. There exists a simple surgery to correct the ears. Fingers can be swapped or removed if necessary. In the case of absent or fused-at-the-bone fingers, nothing is done. The eyes, which do not function properly, cannot be fixed currently, although special contact lenses can give them a normal appearance, and thick glasses permit normal sight. After the surgeries are complete, the patient can lead a relatively normal life, but must check into the hospital regularly.
Known Victims
- Durendal the Hedgehog (Pronounced dead at birth, but disappeared. May be alive.)
- Unnamed hedgehog (Lived 12 hours, asphyxiated.)
- Koohinon-Ja the Echidna (Lived 48 hours before succumbing to cardiac arrest.)
- Unidentified victim (Currently alive and well - approximately 19 years old.)
- The Unknown Enemy is speculated to have the disease, although due to his or her advanced age this seems unlikely.