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Vitiligo

Published on Mar 20, 2016

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

Vitiligo

Integumentary System
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What is Vitiligo?

  • Vitiligo - a chronic skin disease characterized by portions of the skin losing their pigment.
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Vitiligo

  • It occurs when skin pigment cells die or are unable to function. Aside from cases of contact with certain chemicals, the cause of vitiligo is unknown.

Causes

  • Research suggests vitiligo may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress, neural, or viral causes.
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Types

  • Vitiligo is typically classified into two main categories: segmental and non-segmental vitiligo.
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Segmental

  • It tends to affect areas of skin that are associated with dorsal roots from the spinal cord and is most often unilateral.
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Segmental

  • It spreads much more rapidly than NSV and, without treatment, it is much more stable/static in course and its association with autoimmune diseases appears to be weaker than that of generalized vitiligo
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Non-Segmental

  • In non-segmental vitiligo (NSV), there is usually some form of symmetry in the location of the patches of depigmentation.

Non-Segmental

  • NSV can come about at any age (unlike segmental vitiligo, which is far more prevalent in teenage years)

Causes (continued)

  • Although multiple theories have been suggested as potential triggers that cause vitiligo, studies strongly imply that changes in the immune system are responsible for the condition.

Treatment

  • There is no cure for vitiligo but several treatment options are available.

Treatment

  • The best evidence is for applied steroids and the combination of ultraviolet light in combination with creams.