Vitiligo Disease

Vitiligo is a skin disease that affects people all across the world irrespective of age, sex and color. Vitiligo is a skin disorder where the most prominent symptom seen is depigmentation of the skin in patches over a long period of time. Although most people think that leucoderma and vitiligo are one and the same thing, it is not so. Leucoderma is a condition where there is either depigmentation of the skin, or there are even development of brown patches on the skin, whereas in vitiligo, there is only depigmentation of the skin, which leads to the development of white patches.

Types of Vitiligo
There are various types of vitiligo skin disease:

• Non-segmental vitiligo: In non-segmental vitiligo, there is a pattern of symmetry that is often noted, wherein there are similar patches seen on both hands and feet and other areas.
• Segmental vitiligo: In segmental vitiligo, the areas affected are normally those associated with the dorsal roots from the spine. It is relatively more serious than non-segmental vitiligo, as this type spreads faster and without timely treatment and these patches of skin discoloration and depigmentation may remain for life.
• Vitiligo universalis: This is the most serious type of vitiligo where almost the entire skin undergoes depigmentation and there is very little pigmented skin left.

Causes
The exact cause of vitiligo disease, unfortunately, is not known. However, it is almost unanimously agreed upon that vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder. This is so because the pathogenesis of the disease entails the destruction of melanocytes in the skin. The skin is made up of two types of cells - keratinocytes and melanocytes. In vitiligo, for reasons unknown, the white blood cells start attacking the melanocytes as they mistakenly identify them as foreign bodies and kill them. The melanocytes are the cells that give the skin its brownish tinge. Hence, when there is destruction of these cells, there are appearances of white patches on skin. It is no wonder then that vitiligo disease prominently figures in the list of autoimmune diseases. There are certain other theories proposed regarding the cause of this disease as well, like some researchers claim that the melanocytes undergo apoptosis, that is self-destruction. Some also believe that the cause of this disease maybe hereditary in nature. Certain conditions are said to precipitate the occurrence of vitiligo, like stress, thyroid disorders, pre-existence of an autoimmune disease, physical injuries etc.

Symptoms
There are not many symptoms of vitiligo, as the most common and obvious symptom is the appearance of white patches on skin. These white patches on skin mostly start showing on the extremities first, with the patches eventually increasing in size and severity. There is often loss of hair in these patches, due to which, if this condition is seen on the scalp, then there are irregular bald patches seen in conjunction with the loss of pigmentation. Depigmentation is also commonly seen around body orifices, like mouth, eyes, nostrils, etc. Normally, the visible features of vitiligo suffice to reach a diagnosis but to reach a final diagnosis, it is always better to examine the skin under a special kind of light with the help of a diagnostic tool known as Wood's lamp. The doctor may also take a skin sample under anesthesia for microscopic examination.

Treatment
As is the case with most autoimmune diseases, regrettably, there is no fixed and definitive treatment for this condition. However, there are a number of ways to mitigate the symptoms and prevent spread of the disease. One of the most common approaches to treating this rare skin disease is with the help of special lamps. These lamps constitute a part of phototherapy, wherein the depigmented patches are exposed to light rays that have a wavelength of only 311 - 313 nanometer, thus, ensuring that there is no heat exposure. This option shows very successful results, especially in cases of vitiligo disease in children. However, for cases that do not respond to phototherapy, most doctors resort to prescribing topical steroids. Others also recommend going for surgical options if all else fails. There are numerous ointments and medications that offer natural cures for vitiligo but the effectiveness of these creams is still under research.

Although vitiligo is not a serious or fatal skin condition, it often has terrible repercussions on the person's mental health. Many a time, people suffering from vitiligo disorder are looked down upon and discriminated. This is most acutely felt in cases of vitiligo in children, where such school kids are often the subject of ridicule at the hands of heartless bullies. Thus, the need of the hour is not only to simply find a cure for this disease but also to spread awareness about this mild and absolutely harmless physical condition, so that the unhealthy discrimination that is rampant with regard to this disease is done away with at the earliest, because let us always remember, that when it comes to vitiligo disease, Michael Jackson and Amitabh Bachchan also suffered and overcame this debilitating disease to make their mark in society.