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| Common Names : |
White Patch, White Spots |
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| Medical Term : |
Leucoderma And Vitiligo |
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| What is VITILIGO ? |
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| A skin condition where smooth, irregular white patches appear on the skin of any part of the body due to destruction of pigment producing cells (melanocytes). The most common places are face, neck, eyes, nostrils, nipples, navel, genitalia, body folds (armpits, groin) etc. |
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| Where does vitiligo occur ? |
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Vitiligo can affect any area of your skin, but most commonly occurs on skin that is exposed to the sun, such as your face, neck and hands.
Vitiligo is more noticeable in people whose skin is dark or tanned. The condition varies from person to person. For example, some people only get a few small, white patches that progress no further. Other people get bigger white patches that join up across large areas of their skin.
In the Western world, about one in 100 people develop vitiligo. The incidence in India is much higher. In about half of all cases it begins before the age of 20, although it can occur at any age. Both men and women are equally affected.
It is not clear what causes vitiligo. It is not infectious and you can't catch it from contact with an affected person. |
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| Symptoms of vitiligo |
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The main symptom of vitiligo is flat, white spots or patches on your skin. The first white patch usually develops where the skin has been exposed to the sun.
Vitiligo does not cause physical discomfort to your skin, such as itching, though this can happen in the colder months if skin is not cared for, as is with normal colored skin. |
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| Medical Treatment for Vitiligo |
UV Therapy Daavlin –
Excimer laser, the latest laser machine to medically treat vitiligo patients. |
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| What is LEUCODERMA ? |
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| Appearance of White skin Patches on any part of the body as a result of severe trauma, cuts, burns, and deep skin infections. |
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| Treatment: |
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| Both Leucoderma & Vitiligo are normally treated after the White Patch(s) have stopped spreading. The choice of therapy depends on the number of white patches: their location, sizes and how widespread they are.If the areas are limited, generally, one of two effective treatments are use by us : |
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| Skin Grafting : |
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| It involves removal of healthy skin from one of the area of the body and transplanting it to the area affected by burn. Normally skin is removed from an area, which normally remains hidden by clothing. The graft is then placed over the affected area and often held in place with aid of a couple of stitches and / or dressing. Skin grafts are of two types, split- thickness grafts and full-thickness grafts. The former consist of a few layers of skin and heal up fast. The latter are deep skin drafts and take comparatively longer to heal. Both donor and recepient sites are covered with sterile dressing which aids quick healing. |
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| Melanocyte (pigment producing cells) Transplantation : |
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| In this procedure ‘melanocyte’ are separated from normal skin and immediately transplanted to the white patch area. |
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| Period Of Treatment : |
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| A normal procedure should last between 1 to 2 hours and about two to three weeks for full recovery. |
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| Post Operative Treatment : |
- All normal post operative care plus any specifics advised by the surgeon.
- Avoid exposure of the affected area to SUN as a rule..
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| Facts That You Should Know: |
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The treatment is effective on existing white patches but cannot and does not stop further white patches from developing.
Vitiligo is a chronic condition that causes pale, white patches to develop on the skin. The areas affected have little or no melanin. Melanin is a dye-like substance that is produced by specialised skin cells called melanocytes, which give your skin its colour and protect it from the sun's rays. |
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