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A history of health problems

Los Angeles: Michael Jackson had a long history of confirmed health problems in addition to rumoured ailments.

In 1984, Jackson suffered burns while singing for a Pepsi commercial here when a special effects smoke bomb misfired. He had to have major surgery on his scalp and it was said that because of the intense pain he developed an addiction to painkillers.

He was reported to have a form of lupus in the 1980s, but it was later said to have gone into remission.

The 50-year-old has had numerous plastic surgeries, including rhinoplasty and a chin implant.

In 1993, Jackson’s dermatologist, Arnold Klein, released a statement saying Jackson had a rare skin disease called vitiligo, which causes a person to lose melanin.

Jackson was also hospitalised with chest pain in 1990 and postponed a concert because of dehydration in August 1993. A concert tour was cut short in November 1993 because of an addiction to prescription painkillers amid allegations of child molestation.

While jurors deliberated in a case in which he was accused of child molestation in June 2005, Jackson went to a hospital for treatment of what his spokeswoman said was recurring back pain.

More rumours emerged in May that Jackson had skin cancer. — PTI

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