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vitiligo
medical disorder
Also known as: leukoderma
vitiligo
Category:
Science & Tech
- Also called:
- leukoderma
- Related Topics:
- skin disease
- melanin
- melanocyte
- familial disease
- On the Web:
- Patient - Vitiligo (Mar. 28, 2024)
vitiligo, patchy loss of melanin pigment from the skin. Though the pigment-making cells of the skin, or melanocytes, are structurally intact, they have lost the ability to synthesize the pigment. The reason for this condition is unclear; research suggests that it may be an autoimmune condition. Vitiligo appears clinically as milk-white irregularly oval patches of skin, which are small at the beginning but enlarge gradually. These patches are roughly symmetrical and are seen most commonly on the hands, wrists, face, neck, and upper trunk. The hair growing in the depigmented area is also white. Individuals with vitiligo (about 1 percent ...(100 of 135 words)