Vitiligo is an acquired, chronic skin condition which results in the loss of melanocytes and consequent depigmentation of the skin.

Epidemiology:

• It is thought to affect around 1% of the population and symptoms typically develop by the age of 20-30 years.
• Vitiligo can affect both children and adults with an equal sex distribution.

Pathophysiology

Differences in skin colour is due to the packaging and processing of melanocyes rather than the number of melanocytes, the exact cause of the loss of melanocytes in vitiligo is unknown, but several mechanisms have been proposed:

• genetics - positive family Hx in 25-30% of cases
• Autoimmune - antibodie to melanocyte agents have been identified in some patients
• Oxidative stress - Oxidative stress occurs from an imbalance between the accumulation of ROS and the cells ability to detoxify them leading to damage = melanocyte destruction
• Other - Several other mechanisms have been proposed

Associated conditions

• type 1 diabetes mellitus
• Addison's disease
• autoimmune thyroid disorders
• pernicious anaemia
• alopecia areata