On the occasion of World Vitiligo Day, take a look back at this disease which generates depigmentation of the skin.
It is a relatively common disease and despite everything, little known. Vitiligo affects around one million French people. This pathology, which is characterized by depigmentation of the skin, was the subject of a World Day this Saturday.
Vitiligo is the appearance of discolored areas on the skin related to a loss of normal pigmentation skin. These more or less important areas are found anywhere on the body, but mainly on the face, feet, hands, genitals and friction areas (groin, armpits, waistband, etc.).
Mechanisms poorly understood
The disease affects all skin types. According to the World Health Organization, “It has an incidence of about 1% in most racial groups.” Lesions, which appear gradually and rarely disappear, may be single or multiple, randomly distributed (common vitiligo) or peripheral.
The loss of melanin can be the result of an autoimmune mechanism. Moreover, in affected individuals, other autoimmune disorders are often observed, such as multiple alopecia, Addison’s disease, hypo- or hyperthyroidism, diabetes or generalized scleroderma. Vitiligo can also have a chemical cause, namely exposure to phenols, says the WHO.
Despite everything, its mechanisms remain poorly understood. In the absence of a precise understanding of these mechanisms, it is difficult to offer specific treatment, especially since causes may vary depending on the types of patients and vitiligo. The effectiveness of treatments is also dependent on the stage of progression of vitiligo.
To better understand the causes of this disease, the Bordeaux University Hospital has set up cohort follow-up out of 1,500 people. Several studies and clinical trials are underway.
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