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Vitiligo is a disorder that results in damage to and loss of melanocytes (cells within the skin that produce melanin, the skin's natural color or pigment). This damage results in patches of depigmented skin. The process primarily affects the skin, but may also affect pigmentation of other sites, including the eyes and hair. Vitiligo may be focal (occurring in only a few patches), segmental (in which the patches occur on one side of the body only), and generalized (patches throughout the body). The course of vitiligo varies and some patients may develop only a few patches while others may experience almost total depigmentation. Vitiligo may affect persons of all ages; however, its onset most commonly occurs during young adulthood. The cause of vitiligo is not completely understood; however, it is thought to be an autoimmune process (a process by which the body produces an immune response against some . . . [Full Text of this Article]

DIAGNOSIS

Sarah Ringold, MD, Writer; Tiffany J. Glass, MA, Illustrator; Richard M. Glass, MD, Editor

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