Vitiligo, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
Vitiligo, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
Vitiligo, which is chronic "long lasting" disease, is a non-contagious skin condition that causes the appearance of depigmented patches "discolored or white patches" in different parts of the body's skin, as a result of a fault or absence of the function of the melanocytes, which are the cells responsible for producing melanin in the skin and the base of hair follicle.
In this article:
• The different types of
• The causes of vitiligo
• The symptoms of vitiligo
• How can vitiligo be diagnosed
• The treatment for vitiligo
The different types of vitiligo
• Non-segmental vitiligo :
The most common type of vitiligo, as the patches are mirrored on both sides of the body.
• Segmental vitiligo:
The patches appear on one side of the body without crossing the midline.
• Universal vitiligo:
The patches appear nearly on all skin surface.
• Generalized vitiligo:
The patches appear on many parts of the body's skin
• Localized "focal" vitiligo
The patches appear on one or few parts of the body's skin.
The causes of vitiligo
The main cause of vitiligo is the loss or the absence of the melanocytes and their functions as this may happens as a result of many reasons such as:
• The immune cells attack the melanocytes because of an autoimmune disease. "As in the non-segmental vitiligo"
• Nerves release some neurochemicals that damage the melanocytes. "as in the segmental vitiligo"
The risk factors:
• One or more of the family members with vitiligo or have a certain autoimmune disease such as:
1. Rheumatoid arthritis
2. Type 1 diabetes
3. Thyroid disease
4. Alopecia areata
The symptoms of vitiligo
Because of the absence of the melanocytes, the melanin's levels won't be existed, which will cause:
• The appearance of the irregular, oval shaped and depigmented or white patches within the normally pigmented skin.
• Possible depigmentation of the body hair and iris in the affected areas.
The complications
• Social or psychological distress
• Sun burn
• Hearing loss
• Eye problems such as : Iritis
How can vitiligo be diagnosed
The main diagnosis is based on the appearance of the depigmented patches, but "skin biopsy" can also be done.
The treatment for vitiligo
The type of treatment depends on the size of the depigmented patches, as they are small or large.
If the patches are small, the treatment in this condition will be:
• Using cosmetic cover up.
• Topical immune-suppressants applied directly to the skin
If the patches are large, so in this condition the treatment is:
• Systemic immune-suppressants
• Ultra violet (UV) photo therapy
• Skin bleaching
• In severe cases: skin grafts
Using sunscreen is recommended to:
• Prevent darkening of the skin areas immediately surrounding and contrasting the depigmented areas
• Reduce the risk of skin cancer
Written by:
Ganna Ahmed Ellabany
Edited by:
Mohamed Saad
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