What they learned was that vitiligo was “very highly associated” with a number of other autoimmune diseases, mostly thyroid disease, but also pernicious anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, Addison’s disease, and adult-onset autoimmune diabetes.

Does having vitiligo make you immunocompromised?

But overall the take home message is that having vitiligo does not mean your immune system is weak, or that you are more likely to get an infection.

What is segmental vitiligo?

Segmental vitiligo is an uncommon form of localized vitiligo, characterized by dermatomal distribution. It is often unilateral and asymmetrical that never crosses the midline of body (1,4,5). In this form of the disease, depigmentation spots spread quickly in the affected dermatomes and then stop growing.

What triggers vitiligo to spread?

Surgical treatments include: The doctor takes skin from one area of a patient’s body and attaches it to another area. This is sometimes used for people with small patches of vitiligo. Tattooing small areas of skin.

What autoimmune disease is vitiligo?

Vitiligo is epidemiologically associated with increased risk of autoimmune thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, pernicious anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Addison’s disease8,15.

What autoimmune causes vitiligo?

About 15 to 25 percent of people with vitiligo are also affected by at least one other autoimmune disorder, particularly autoimmune thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis , pernicious anemia, Addison disease, or systemic lupus erythematosus.

What autoimmune diseases are common with vitiligo?

Is segmental vitiligo an autoimmune disease?

The underlying cause of segmental vitiligo remains debatable. But it usually occurs due to an autoimmune response to melanocytes. The majority of segmental vitiligo cases occur from infancy to adulthood, usually before 30 years of age. While the affected skin remains asymptomatic, it could get affected due to sunburns.

Can segmental vitiligo be cured?

There is no cure, and it is usually a lifelong condition. The exact cause is unknown, but it may be due to an autoimmune disorder or a virus. Vitiligo is not contagious. Treatment options may include exposure to UVA or UVB light and depigmentation of the skin in severe cases.

What can make vitiligo worse?

Just as there is no prescribed diet for vitiligo, there are no medically recognized foods that worsen the condition, either. However, anecdotal evidence shows that some people experience a negative reaction when they eat certain foods, especially those that contain the depigmenting agents hydroquinones.

What is the most common autoimmune disease with vitiligo?

  • People with vitiligo may have a higher risk for developing some other health conditions.
  • When someone has more than one disease occurring at the same time, the conditions are known as comorbidities.
  • Autoimmune thyroid diseases are among the most common autoimmune diseases found in people with vitiligo.

Why is there an association between Lupus and vitiligo?

Because some of the medical literature suggests an association between the two conditions. And also for the altogether less scientific reason that Michael Jackson, who famously suffered from vitiligo for a large portion of his life, also had lupus. What is lupus?

Is vitiligo an autoimmune disease?

“This builds on the theory pointing to an autoimmune pathogenesis for vitiligo,” Dr. Hamzavi says. “Most patients with vitiligo will not develop autoimmune disease, but a significant minority will develop hypothyroidism. Patients with vitiligo should be regularly screened yearly for thyroid disorders.”

Is vitiligo a disease with multiple comorbidities?

“Vitiligo is a systemic disease with multiple comorbidities,” Dr. Iltefat Hamzavi from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich., told Reuters Health by email. “The number of patients with neurologic diseases and inflammatory disease was much higher than we anticipated.”

What is MBEH (monobenzone)?

MBEH or monobenzone is the most commonly used depigmenting agent used in vitiligo. It is the only depigmentation treatment for extensive vitiligo that has been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Agency, United States of America). MBEH is a derivative of hydroquinone.