Symptoms of Vitiligo

Vitiligo manifests as acquired white or hypopigmented macules or patches. The lesions are usually well demarcated, and they are round, oval, or linear in shape. The borders may be convex. Lesions enlarge centrifugally over time at an unpredictable rate. Lesions range from millimeters to centimeters in size. Initial lesions occur most frequently on the hands, forearms, feet, and face, favoring a perioral and periocular distribution.

Vitiligo lesions may be localized or generalized, with the latter being more common than the former. Localized vitiligo is restricted to one general area with a segmental or quasidermatomal distribution. Generalized vitiligo implies more than one general area of involvement. In this situation, the macules are usually found on both sides of the trunk, either symmetrically or asymmetrically arrayed.
The most common sites of vitiligo involvement are the face, neck, and scalp see different vitiligo pictures. Many of the most common sites of occurrence are areas subjected to repeated trauma, including the following:
-- Bony prominences
-- Extensor forearm
-- Ventral wrists
-- Dorsal hands
-- Digital phalanges
Involvement of the mucous membranes is frequently observed in the setting of generalized vitiligo. Vitiligo often occurs around body orifices such as the lips, genitals, gingiva, areolas, and nipples.
Body hair (leukotrichia) in vitiliginous macules may be depigmented. Vitiligo of the scalp usually appears as a localized patch of white or gray hair, but total depigmentation of all scalp hair may occur. Scalp involvement is the most frequent, followed by involvement of the eyebrows, pubic hair, and axillary hair, respectively. Leukotrichia may indicate a poor prognosis in regard to repigmentation. Spontaneous repigmentation of depigmented hair in vitiligo does not occur.
Some other less common signs of vitiligo may include:
-- Premature whitening (leukotrichia) or graying of the hair on scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard. Vitiligo of the
scal pusually appears as a localized patch of white or gray hair, but total depigmentation of all scalp hair may
occur. Scalp involvement is the most frequent, followed by involvement of the eyebrows, pubic hair, and axillary
hair, respectively.
-- Loss of pigment of the mucous membranes
-- Loss or change in color of the retina (the inner most layer of eye)

What are Causes of Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a long-term condition that causes pale, white patches to develop on the skin - in severe cases these cover the whole body. Vitiligo affects one in every hundred people and can strike anyone at any time, often leading to depression and isolation - especially amongst children. We need your help in finding a cure for this debilitating and distressing disease and to support the millions of vitiligo sufferers across the globe.

Although multiple hypotheses have been suggested as potential triggers that cause vitiligo, studies strongly imply that changes in the immune system are responsible for the condition. Vitiligo has been proposed to be a multifactorial disease with genetic susceptibility and environmental factors both thought to play a role. The TYR gene encodes the protein tyrosinase, which is not a component of the immune system, but is an enzyme of the melanocyte that catalyzes melanin biosynthesis, and a major autoantigen in generalized vitiligo.

Causes of Vitiligo 

Immune
Variations in genes that are part of the immune system or part of melanocytes have both been associated with vitiligo. It is also thought to be caused by the immune system attacking and destroying the melanocytes of the skin. A genomewide association study found approximately 36 independent susceptibility loci for generalized vitiligo.
Autoimmune associations
Vitiligo is sometimes associated with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis,rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, psoriasis, Addison's disease, pernicious anemia, alopecia areata, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Among the inflammatory products of NALP1 are caspase 1 and caspase 7, which activate the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β. Interleukin-1β is expressed at high levels in patients with vitiligo.In one of the mutations, the amino acid leucine in the NALP1 protein was replaced by histidine (Leu155->His). The original protein and sequence is highly conserved in evolution, and is found in humans,chimpanzee, rhesus monkey, and the bush baby. Addison's disease (typically an autoimmune destruction of the adrenal glands) may also be seen in individuals with vitiligo.

Family history (heredity)

What Is Vitiligo

Vitiligo is based on the limitations of white skin patches, and then gradually expand the spread of major clinical manifestations of the main symptoms of skin disease. Vitiligo hurt does not itch, but eroding the health of skin and heart patients, severe damage to the person's appearance, and dampen the human spirit, affecting their normal life, marriage, work and social, is one of the world difficult to treat.

Vitiligo is a chronic skin condition characterized by portions of the skin losing their pigment. It occurs when skin pigment cells die or are unable to function. Aside from cases of contact with certain chemicals, the cause of vitiligo is unknown. Research suggests vitiligo may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress, neural, or viral causes. Vitiligo is typically classified into two main categories: segmental and non-segmental vitiligo.

Vitiligo (vit-ih-LIE-go) is a disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. The extent and rate of color loss from vitiligo is unpredictable. It can affect the skin on any part of your body. It may also affect hair, the inside of the mouth and even the eyes.

Normally, the color of hair, skin and eyes is determined by melanin. Vitiligo occurs when the cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning.


Vitiligo affects people of all skin types, but it may be more noticeable in people with darker skin. The condition is not life-threatening or contagious. It can be stressful or make you feel bad about yourself. Treatment for vitiligo may improve the appearance of the affected skin but does not cure the disease.