Vitiligo is a skin disease in which white spots in different parts of the body are presented and can occur when the immune system destroys itself melanocytes, the cells that produce skin pigment (melanin).

Predominates in women, it is rarely congenital, which is present in the infant or start after 50 years.

This problem is also recorded by genetics. Thus, 10 to 30 percent of people with the disease have a family history.

Vitiligo spots can appear anywhere on the body but commonly around the eyes and mouth, near the ears, genitals or hands, elbows, knees, and sometimes hair. "The spots vary in number and size"

Diagnosis:

  • It is effected by a Wood's lamp: manual ultraviolet light causes skin areas with less pigment to glow bright white.
  • Other procedures are: skin biopsy to rule out other possible causes loss of pigmentation or blood tests to check levels of thyroid hormone or other, like vitamin B12 levels.

Treatment:

  • It depends on the affected area, the time of evolution and the age of the patient. Some are topical, which means through steroid that can be applied in the first months at onset.
  • However, if the Vitiligo affects areas of very thin skin treatments are as pimecrolimus, which is a local medicine.

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