Letter: Wrinkling of skin in cystic fibrosis.

I have observed that the skin of children with cystic fibrosis wrinkles 
excessively early when soaked in tap water. This physical sign is 
highly reliable irrespective of the degree of nutrition of the patient. 
It is sometimes seen in infants with marasmus. Normal skin wrinkles 
eventually to exposure to water (except that from the Dead Sea). 
It is possible that the disorder of salt flux in cystic 
fibrosis is connected with the apparent excessive hypertonic reactivity of the 
skin. Three minutes and a bowl of water might provide a 
cheap screening test for this condition. 