Vitiligo

Manifestations and diagnosis

Similar lesions can also appear on the mucous membranes (the inner surface of the mouth and nose), the retina of the eye. The hair that grows on the affected areas sometimes turns white.

The reason for the development of this disease is currently unknown. It is known that children of parents with vitiligo are more prone to develop the disease.

In scientific circles, the most common view is that vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which a person's immune system reacts against its own cells or tissues. The immune system produces proteins (cytokines), which in vitiligo act on melanocytes, as a result of which the latter stop producing melanin (pigment). There is evidence that sunburn or emotional stress is a trigger for the onset of the disease.

People with certain autoimmune diseases (hyperthyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, alopecia areata, pernicious anemia) are more likely to develop vitiligo than people without autoimmune diseases.

The disease begins with the appearance of white spots on the skin. As a rule, they are found on open areas of the body (face, lips, arms, legs). As the disease progresses, new spots appear in the armpits and groin, on the nasolabial triangle, around the eyes, nostrils, and genitals.

There is no way to predict the course of this disease. In some people, depigmented spots do not spread, sometimes they disappear, and in others they progress - they spread to other parts of the body. Some people complain of the development of new depigmentation after physical or emotional stress. The main goal of vitiligo treatment is to improve the appearance of the skin.

Vitiligo in a child. Today, there are evidence-based methods of treating vitiligo that have varying percentages of effectiveness. Treatment of this disease takes a long time, usually from 6 to 18 months. The choice of treatment depends on the number of white spots, their location, size, and distribution. Modern methods of treatment of vitiligo include conservative and surgical methods and adjuvant therapy.

A number of medical treatments, most of which are topical, can reduce the appearance of vitiligo and lead to repigmentation of existing patches. Here are some of the most commonly used methods:

Use of corticosteroids - corticosteroid creams are used in the initial stages of the disease. Patients should apply the creams regularly for at least 3 months to see the effect. The disadvantage of this method of treatment is that complications may occur in the form of skin atrophy and expansion of the vascular network (face, eyelids, genitals).

The use of calcineurin inhibitors is one of the safe methods of treatment at the current stage. Tacrolimus - a calcineurin inhibitor allows you to exclude the above complications that may occur in patients who use corticosteroids. The cream is used for a long time and the effect can be observed after three months. This method is ideal in combination with narrow spectrum phototherapy (UVB 311nm).

Depigmented skin on the hands

The use of narrow-spectrum phototherapy (UVB 311 nm) is the safest modern method of vitiligo treatment with the highest efficiency profile. Today, it is considered the "gold standard" for the treatment of vitiligo, approved for the treatment of children and pregnant women.

Depigmentation of the skin is performed on patients with depigmentation of more than 50% of the skin.

Surgical treatment is performed in patients whose clinical condition has been stable for more than 3 years. Healthy skin is transplanted into the affected areas.

Phototherapy on the latest equipment of 2020 is successfully practiced in our clinic for the treatment of Vitiligo. If you need specialist advice on the treatment of vitiligo, you can always contact our medical center.