Vitiligo: Benign Skin Disease

Vitiligo or alternatively known as Primary acromia1 or Idiopathic leukoderma1, is a benign skin disease2, it is the most common type of leukoderma3(p.974) which is described as “localised complete loss of skin”2. Vitiligo is characterised by hypopigmentation. Hypopigmentation occurs when pigment in the skin is lost, it appears in irregular shapes and sizes on different parts of the body, including mucous membranes and the retina. Vitiligo occurs in both sexes and among all races, it is not contagious, nor life-threatening but, it can be life-altering. It can cause significant social and psychological difficulties among people who have the disease, an estimated 1.2% of Australians have vitiligo, which is equivalent to 272, 160 people4. The exact cause of vitiligo is unknown5, although what makes it fascinating is that there are many treatment options available which can help patients improve

Non-segmental vitiligo is the most common form of vitiligo. It is also referred to as Bilateral vitiligo, Vitiligo vulgaris and Generalized vitiligo7. 90%6 of the people who have vitiligo have non-segmental vitiligo. Non-segmental vitiligo is characterised by the non-pigmented patches of skin that are visibly symmetrical8 on both sides of the body, these patches increase in size over time. The most common places were non-segmental vitiligo appears is on skin that is exposed daily to the sun, such as the face, neck, and hands, backs of the hands, arms, eyes, knees, elbows, feet and the mouth. Segmental vitiligo affects 10%6 of vitiligo patients, and is exceedingly more common in children. It appears on only on one side of the body, for example it appears on one segment of the body, such as a leg, face or arm. People who have segmental vitiligo also tend to lose some hair colour7, such as on the head, an eyelash or an eyebrow. Segmental vitiligo progresses rapidly for a year, and then becomes