Vitiligo: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

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Vitiligo
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Vitiligo

• Vitiligo is a chronic skin problem, which causes
  the loss of skin colour resulting in white and
  uneven patches. These blotches can appear
  anywhere on the skin. Vitiligo problem occurs
  when melanocytes cells die. Melanocytes are the
  cells within the skin, which provides skin with
  its original colour and protect it from
  ultraviolet rays. Vitiligo can affect people of
  any age and there is no permanent cure for this
  skin condition, but treatment can help to stop it
  spreading to the other parts of the body. The
  patches once appear may never go for the rest of
  the life. There are more than 1 million cases of
  vitiligo every year in the India. However,
  vitiligo is not a contagious disorder.

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Causes of Vitiligo

• The prime cause of vitiligo is the death of
  melanocytes, the skin cells. Melanin is the
  pigment produced by the melanocytes, which gives
  skin its original color. When melanocytes are,
  destroyed, skin tends to lose its original colour
  as a result, there is a formation of large and
  uneven patches on the skin. However, the exact
  cause of death of skin cells is yet to be
  determined. Some possible causes of vitiligo
• Hyperthyroidism
• Autoimmune disorder Immune system of the body
  destroys own body cells.
• Pernicious Anaemia
• Chemical exposure
• Nervous system disorder
• Genetic

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Symptoms

• Appearance of uneven white patches and the high
  degree of de-pigmentation on the various parts of
  the body is an only symptom of vitiligo. The skin
  starts to lose its colour first from hands, arms,
  feet, lips, and face. As the condition,
  progresses a patient may also start to see white
  patches around the armpits, eyes, abdomen area,
  and nostrils. The skin also loses its ability to
  protect it from ultraviolet rays, which can cause
  excessive sunburn. If, vitiligo is left
  untreated, it may lead to the development of skin
  cancer.

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Diagnosis of Vitiligo

• Before starting the treatment, diagnosis of
  vitiligo is done to know the severity of this
  skin condition. A skin doctor may perform a
  physical examination and asks patients about
  their medical history and other questions such as
  when did condition started or is patient allergic
  to anything. The diagnostic test for vitiligo
  includes 
• Blood test
• Thyroid test
• Biopsy

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Treatments

• There are various medicines and procedures for
  the treatment of vitiligo. A dermatologist will
  choose the best combination of medicines and
  procedures for the treatment of patients with
  vitiligo. The treatment of vitiligo can help in
  the reduction of white spots on the skin. Some
  treatments of vitiligo are listed
  below. Re-pigmentation- The colour of skin can
  be revived using re-pigmentation. The
  re-pigmentation treatment includes many methods
  such as grafting, dyes, micro-pigmentation,
  phototherapy, and creams with specific compounds,
  which are beneficial for the skin. Narrow band
  phototherapy- Involves the use of laser for
  minimising the visibility of white
  patches. De-pigmentation- This treatment is,
  done when there is a considerable affected area.
  De-pigmentation removes the skin pigment from the
  other unaffected areas of the body in order to
  match the whiter area. This is a long-term
  procedure and makes take up to one year before
  completion.

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