Types of Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a common skin disorder wherein white patches appear on different parts of the body. This occurs when skin cells that make the pigments in the skin, the mucous membranes such as the ones found inside of the mouth, nose, genital, rectal areas and the retina are destroyed. This occurs on both sides of the body in the same location. One of the symptoms of Vitiligo is the hair that grows in the affected area turns into white.

Vitiligo has been classified in three areas:

1. Localized Vitiligo -
   The depigmentation of the skin is found in one region such as the side of the face, the genitalia or scalp hair. The most common place to find localized Vitiligo is on the neck. The normal pattern of the lesions may be linear and occasionally appear to follow the pattern of a dermatome.
   
2. Generalized Vitiligo -
   The depigmented macules are scattered over any exposed areas for example, face, body folds, neck or sites of recent trauma. The borders of the Vitiligo appear convex and the depigmented areas seem to invade the normal pigmented skin that shows concave pigmented borders.
   
3. Universal Vitiligo -
   The entire cutaneous surface is depigmented and small hyper-pigmented spots appear on the areas exposed to the sun. Universal Vitiligo can resemble albinism apart from the pigment in the hair and eyes.
   

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