Our dermatologists often diagnose vitiligo based solely on a physical examination. If doctors need more information about how the condition affects your skin cells, they may suggest a skin biopsy or blood test.
Chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10 are the predominant chemokines involved in vitiliginous T-cell migration,6 whereas CXCL10 is a potential biomarker that can demarcate between stable and active vitiligo.
About 15 to 25 percent of people with vitiligo are also affected by at least one other autoimmune disorder, particularly autoimmune thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis , pernicious anemia, Addison disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, celiac disease, Crohn disease, or ulcerative colitis.
Vitiligo often starts as a pale patch of skin that gradually turns completely white. The centre of a patch may be white, with paler skin around it. If there are blood vessels under the skin, the patch may be slightly pink, rather than white. The edges of the patch may be smooth or irregular.
What causes vitiligo? Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease. This type of disease develops when your immune system attacks part of your own body. If you have vitiligo, your immune system attacks cells in your body called melanocytes. These are cells that make pigment.
Pityriasis versicolor can sometimes be confused with vitiligo, as they both cause the skin to become discoloured in patches. But there are ways to tell the difference: vitiligo often develops symmetrically (on both sides of your body at the same time), while pityriasis versicolor may not.
Vitiligo is associated with several comorbid autoimmune, systemic, and dermatological diseases, primarily thyroid disease, alopecia areata, diabetes mellitus, pernicious anemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Addison's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Sjögren's syndrome, dermatomyositis, ...
To the best of our knowledge, vitamin D significantly affects melanocytes and keratinocytes. Studies suggest that vitamin D3 increases tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis in vitro [12], which may lead to repigmentation in vitiligo skin lesions.
Tests in IVAMI: in IVAMI perform detection of mutations associated with vitiligo, by complete PCR amplification of the exons of NLRP1 and PTPN22, respectively, and subsequent sequencing genes.
Narrow-band UVB (NB-UVB 310-315 nm) radiation is now considered as the "gold standard" for the treatment of diffuse vitiligo.
Diagnosing vitiligo
Your GP will be able to diagnose vitiligo after examining the affected areas of skin. They may ask whether: there's a history of vitiligo in your family.
If you suspect you may have vitiligo, visit your primary care doctor or a dermatologist. At your appointment, your doctor will likely ask about risk factors such as: Whether a close relative has been diagnosed with vitiligo. Whether you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder.
Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease [2]. In autoimmune diseases, the white blood cells get confused and start attacking the body's own cells instead of the disease-causing cells and viruses they are supposed to target.
Hypopigmented spots that are NOT vitiligo. If the spots are not truly white, but hypopigmented and not depigmented (they don't enhance by Wood's lamp), then they are NOT vitiligo and could be any number of different diseases and conditions.
Symptoms can be mild and only affect a small area of your body or severe and affect a large area of your skin. Some people with vitiligo experience itchy skin before depigmentation starts.
Stress increases the levels of catecholamines, neuropeptides, and cortisol that are higher in vitiligo patients [37–39] suggesting their role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo.
A skin biopsy, which means taking a small sample of your skin to be examined under a microscope. Doctors can examine the tissue for the missing melanocytes seen in the depigmented skin of a person with vitiligo.
Vitiligo is an idiopathic disorder of skin and hair characterized by melanin loss. Nonetheless thyroid disorder is a major cause of this pathology, other factors participate in its expression. Hormones such as, testosterone and estrogen have been suspected as drivers of this disorder.
Localized: Skin patches are found on limited areas of the body. Generalized: Skin patches are scattered around the body. Mucosal : Vitiligo affects the mucous membranes found in the mouth and/or genitals. Focal: Skin patches remain in a small area of the body without spreading in the first two years.
Many people who have vitiligo are often otherwise healthy. Even so, it's important to find a doctor like a dermatologist who knows about vitiligo. People who have vitiligo have a higher risk of getting some other medical conditions. You can also get painful sunburns on the skin that has lost color.
There are no at-home tests available to diagnose vitiligo. However, you can do a general self-check of your skin and look for patchy or widespread loss of pigmentation (the coloring of your skin, hair, and eyes).
Pre-vitiligo patches appear as pale yellow patches before they turn into white vitiligo patches. It is beneficial if one notices them and treats this problem at an early stage and not let it convert to vitiligo. Mostly they start affecting the areas like face, knees, elbows, back of the hand, etc.