Jackson had long history of health problems

Pop icon Michael Jackson, who died today following an apparent cardiac arrest, had a long history of confirmed health problems in addition to rumoured ailments.

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

He also 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 that Jackson had a rare skin disease called vitiligo, which causes a person to lose melanin, the pigment that determines the colour of skin, hair and eyes, in patches or all over the body.

The condition affects 1 per cent to 2 per cent of the population, and no one knows what causes it.

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.