Vitiligo

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**Vitiligo**
*Classifications and external resources*

Young woman with Vitiligo
ICD-10	L 80.
ICD-9	709.01

Vitiligo (IPA /ˌvɪtəˈlaɪgo/) or leukoderma is a chronic skin condition that causes loss of pigment, resulting in irregular pale patches of skin. The precise etiology of vitiligo is complex and not fully understood. There is some evidence suggesting it is caused by a combination of auto-immune, genetic, and environmental factors. The population incidence in the United States is between 1% and 2%.

1 Signs
2 Psychological effects
3 Treatment
4 Support Organizations
5 Famous people with vitiligo
6 Vitiligo in domestic animals
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Signs

Half of people with vitiligo develop patches of de-pigmented skin appearing on extremities before their 20s. The patches may grow or remain constant in size. Patches often occur symmetrically across both sides on the body (see photo above). Occasionally small areas may repigment as they are recolonised by melanocytes. The location of vitiligo affected skin changes over time, with some patches re-pigmenting and others becoming affected.

In some cases, mild trauma to an area of skin seems to cause new patches - for example around the ankles (caused by friction with shoes or sneakers). Vitiligo may also be caused by stress that affects the immune system, leading the body to react and start eliminating skin pigment.

Vitiligo on the scalp may affect the color of the hair (though not always), leaving white patches or streaks. It will similarly affect facial and body hair.

[edit] Psychological effects

Vitiligo can have a significant effect on the psychological well being of the patient. This is especially true for darker skinned patients as the contrast between pigmented and depigmented skin can be quite drastic.

In some cultures there is a stigma attached to having vitiligo. Those affected with the condition are sometimes thought to be evil or diseased and are sometimes shunned by others in the community. People with vitiligo may feel depressed because of this stigma or because their appearance has changed dramatically.

Other people with vitiligo experience no negative psychological effects at all.

[edit] Treatment

There are a number of ways to alter the appearance of vitiligo without addressing its underlying cause. In mild cases, vitiligo patches can be hidden with makeup or other cosmetic solutions. If the affected person is pale-skinned, the patches can be made less visible by avoiding sunlight and the sun tanning of unaffected skin. However, exposure to sunlight may also cause the melanocytes to regenerate to allow the pigmentation to come back to its original color.

Methods for removing the white patches include corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, ultraviolet light and surgery, but they are not very effective.^{[citation needed]} Current treatments include exposure to Narrow Band UV-B light, which seems to blur the edges of patches, and lightly freckling the affected areas. Scientific studies have also shown that immunomodulator creams such as Protopic and Elidel also cause repigmentation in some cases [1][2].

Alternatively, some people with vitiligo opt for chemical depigmentation, which uses 20% monobenzylether of hydroquinone. This process is irreversible and generally ends up with complete or mostly complete depigmentation.

In late October of 2004, doctors successfully transplanted melanocytes to vitiligo affected areas, effectively repigmenting the region. The procedure involved taking a thin layer of pigmented skin from the patient's gluteal region. Melanocytes were then separated out and used to make a cellular suspension. The area to be treated was then ablated with a laser, and the melanocyte graft applied. Three weeks later, the area was exposed to UV light repeatedly for two months. Between 73 and 84 percent of patients experienced nearly complete repigmentation of their skin.^{[citation needed]} The longevity of the repigmentation differed from person to person.

[edit] Support Organizations

Support groups and organizations are available to help people learn more about vitiligo, understand treatment options, and find support from other people with vitiligo.

Vitiligo Support International is the largest vitiligo organization in the world. The nonprofit organization provides free access to online message boards, chat rooms, frequently asked questions, information and articles, as well as a patient-referred doctor search. The group advocates on behalf of patients, conducts patient conferences and has local support groups.

The American Vitiligo Research Foundation Inc. (AVRF) is a non-profit, tax-exempt charity that aims to increase public awareness about vitiligo and to help those affected by vitiligo, focusing specifically on children and their families. It supports finding a cure through alternatives to animal testing.

[edit] Famous people with vitiligo

Michael Jackson, famous singer/songwriter. During court depositions in 1994, both Jackson's dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein and his nurse (Deborah Rowe, whom Jackson later married) claimed that in 1984, Jackson was diagnosed with lupus and vitiligo.
Graham Norton, famous TV presenter/comedian, developed vitiligo in 1988 after being stabbed whilst at Drama School in London. He has tell-tale white patches in his hair as a result.^{[citation needed]}
Joe Rogan, actor/comedian and host of Fear Factor, is known to have the disease ^{[citation needed]}
Rigo Tovar, famous Mexican musician/singer, was diagnosed with it late in his life ^{[citation needed]}
John Henson, semifamous host of Talk Soup on E Entertainment Network earned his nickname "skunk boy" at least in part because of a stripe of white hair vitiligo created in his scalp above the right temple. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Vitiligo in domestic animals

Image:Vitiligo in a rottweiler.jpg

Vitiligo, along with poliosis is seen as a familial trait in domestic animals. It is especially common in Arabian horses (called Arabian Pinky Syndrome) and in Rottweiler dogs.

[edit] See also

Alphos, the skin leprosy originally called vitiligo.
Albinism, a genetic condition resulting in a lack of pigmentation in the eyes, skin and hair.

[edit] References

Grimes PE (2005). "New insights and new therapies in vitiligo". JAMA 293 (6): 730-5. PMID 15701915.
Handa S, Kaur I (1999). "Vitiligo: clinical findings in 1436 patients". J Dermatol 26 (10): 653-7. PMID 10554431.