Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a type of skin discoloration characterized by progressively widening areas of depigmented (very white) skin. The depigmentation that occurs with this condition is associated with the local destruction of melanocytes, the cells that produce the pigment that darkens the skin, called melanin. Vitiligo affects 1–4% of the world’s population.
What are the symptoms of vitiligo?
Symptoms of vitiligo include decreased or absent pigmentation in localized or diffuse areas of the skin. Hair in these areas is typically white, and the skin tends to sunburn more easily.
How is it treated?
Conventional treatment includes cosmetic creams and tanning solutions, topical cortisone or related drugs, oral and topical psoralens (drugs that increase the skin’s sensitivity to light) with ultraviolet A irradiation (PUVA), and, rarely, skin transplants. Treatment may also involve the management of any underlying medical condition, such as Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome, scleroderma, melanoma-associated leukoderma, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, and autoimmune disorders.
|
|
|
|
|
