Vitiligo disease
Vitiligo is a common skin disease. It has between 0.5% and 2% of the world’s population. It is known to cause the disappearance of the natural color of the skin and the appearance of specific white spots due to the destruction of melanocytes, Melanin pigment in the skin. Vitiligo has no tendency to race at the expense of others; however, it is most noticeable in dark-skinned people. Most patients are infected by age 40, and half are infected before they reach the age of 20. It has been found that vitiligo is highly related to the suffering of other diseases Arise from autoimmune disorders in the body, such as thyroid diseases. There is no specific cause for vitiligo until now. However, after many studies, scientists have developed several hypotheses for the cause of the disease, most notably that vitiligo is an autoimmune disease, in which the antibodies attack and destroy melanocytes. Some researchers believe that melanocytic cells And some studies have suggested that Vitiligo has a hereditary aspect as well as the possibility of a particular event causing it, such as exposure to sunburn or emotional shock.
Symptoms of vitiligo
Vitiligo may affect all areas covered by the skin; however, it often appears on sun-exposed areas such as the face, arms, hands, lips, and feet. Several signs may appear in vitiligo patients, most notably:
- Natural skin color disappears in specific spots.
- Early gray or gray hair appearance, whether in the head, eyebrows or beard.
- The color of the lining of the mouth and nose as well as the color of the inner layer of the eye.
Vitiligo causes a number of complications, including sunburn and skin cancer, as well as retinal diseases such as iris and hearing loss, as well as social and psychological damage to the disease.
Treatment of vitiligo
Different treatment methods restore the natural color of the skin in the affected areas, and the response of the disease varies from one patient to another. Some treatment methods do not work in patients. They may last for a long time. More than one treatment may be used at the same time. To achieve the desired results, and usually choose the appropriate method of treatment according to many factors, such as the number of white spots and their prevalence, in addition to the preferred method of the patient. As for the most important methods of treating vitiligo currently available, they are as follows:
- Use of medicines: There is no current drug that treats vitiligo. Medicines can not stop the process of destroying melanocytes, and some are used either alone or with phototherapy to restore the natural color of the skin. The most commonly used drugs are creams that control inflammation, such as creams containing corticosteroid Corticosteroid, which can restore normal skin color, especially if used early in the disease. Despite the effectiveness of these compounds and their ease of use, they may cause side effects such as reducing the thickness of the skin and the appearance of lines on it. The drugs used to treat vitiligo are also ointments containing Tacrolimus and Pimecrolimus, which affect the body’s immune system. These compounds are effective on small white spots, especially in the face and neck. These drugs can be used with UVB treatment, and have fewer side effects than corticosteroids, and despite these features, the Food and Drug Administration has warned of a possible association between the use of these drugs and endocrine cancer Lymphatic and skin cancer.
- The combination of phototherapy and suraline: Suralin is a compound extracted from plants. Treatment is taken from the mouth or applied to the skin, and then UV rays are applied to the affected parts of the patient’s skin to restore the natural color of the white spots. This combination is more effective than the use of drugs alone or phototherapy alone. Treatment of vitiligo, usually treatment lasts between six months and a full year at a rate of three times a week.
- Subject to removal of pigmentation: Dyeing agents are used to gradually reduce the color of the affected skin to fit the infected spots. This procedure is used if other treatment methods fail or if they affect large areas of the body.
- Surgery: In addition, there are many surgical procedures aimed at standardizing skin color, such as skin grafting. Doctors remove a small section of healthy skin and place it in affected areas. Patching after blister grafting, then removing the skin covering the bubble and planting it in the affected areas. There is also a tattoo method, in which the spots are colored.
Types of vitiligo
Vitiligo is usually divided into two main types according to the pattern of spread of color spots, namely segmental vitiligo, also known as vitiligo, and generalized vitiligo. The latter is most widespread. It is found in nine out of ten vitiligo patients. The spread of these spots on both sides of the left and right body is similar, and vitiligo affects one area of the body.