John J. DiGiovanna, MD, Editor Dermatologists are curious, perhaps because what we see in clinic often challenges our understanding. Several recent scientific advances have yielded breakthroughs that help explain some…
The pathogenesis of vitiligo involves interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic melanocyte defects, innate immune inflammation, and T-cell–mediated melanocyte destruction. The goal of treatment is to not only halt disease progression…
Vitiligo reflects simultaneous contributions of multiple genetic risk factors and environmental triggers. Genomewide association studies have discovered approximately 50 genetic loci contributing to vitiligo risk. At many vitiligo susceptibility loci,…
Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder that involves the interplay between oxidative stress and the immune system. Preliminary observations suggest that the presence of gluten in the diet may play a…
Childhood vitiligo differs from adult-onset vitiligo for several features including increased incidence of the segmental variant, higher prevalence of halo nevi, and more common family history for autoimmune diseases and…
Repigmentation in vitiligo is the process that replaces, in the epidermal basal layer of vitiligo skin, the mature melanocytes that have been killed by cytotoxic T cells specific for melanocyte…
The general goals of medical management of vitiligo are to repigment vitiliginous areas of skin and to stabilize the progression of depigmentation. However, for some patients with vitiligo affecting extensive…
Surgical management is a safe and effective treatment modality for select patients with vitiligo. Many techniques of vitiligo surgery exist, each with unique advantages and disadvantages. Preoperative screening for appropriate…
Vitiligo is a disease characterized by disappearance of melanocytes from the skin. It can negatively influence the physical appearance of affected individuals, and may profoundly affect a person’s psychosocial function…
Medical treatments alone, or in combination with phototherapy, are key approaches for treating nonsegmental vitiligo and, to a lesser extent, segmental vitiligo. The treatments are useful for halting disease progression…
