Vitiligo

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Vitiligo

Vitiligo, drug induced

Vitiligo on the face

Tuberous sclerosis, hypopigmented macule

Vitiligo on the back and arm

Vitiligo

Definition:

Vitiligo is a skin condition in which there is loss of pigment from areas of skin resulting in irregular white patches with normal skin texture.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Vitiligo appears to be an acquired condition and may appear at any age. There is an increased incidence in some families. Vitiligo is more noticeable in darker skinned people because of the contrast.

The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but autoimmunity may be a factor. This condition affects about 1% of the U.S. population.

Lesions appear as flat depigmented areas with a darker boarder. The edges are sharply defined but irregular. Frequently affected areas are the face, elbows and knees, hands and feet, and genitalia.

Review Date: 7/2/2004
Reviewed By: Jonathan Kantor, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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