Step 1: The image shows dry, scaly skin with dull brown-black scales over the body, described as fish-scale or alligator skin.
Step 2: This is ichthyosis, and the most common type is ichthyosis vulgaris, caused by a deficiency of filaggrin in the granular layer (stratum granulosum). The basic defect is impaired skin barrier function and inability to retain moisture, giving the xerotic scaling.
Step 3: Syndromal ichthyosis is part of broader syndromes with extra-cutaneous features and is far less common, so it is not the single best answer for the typical scaly picture. Leprosy gives hypopigmented anaesthetic patches with nerve thickening, not generalised fish-scale skin. Sarcoidosis produces granulomatous plaques, not diffuse dry scaling. The image is ichthyosis vulgaris.
Ref: Arvind Arora Skin, 6th Edition, Page 203.