Diagnosis of Vitiligo
If you have vitiligo, the light makes affected areas of your skin appear chalky and bright. Other tests can include: Blood tests to check for other autoimmune diseases. An eye exam to check for uveitis, an inflammation of part of the eye that sometimes occurs with vitiligo.
You'll usually spot signs of vitiligo on the face, hands, elbows and knees. It's unusual to see tinea versicolor on the hands or legs. TV is most common on the chest or back. And the discoloration isn't the same for both conditions.
In vitiligo, there is complete loss of the pigment in the skin but no other skin changes. Clues that pityriasis alba is the correct diagnosis are an incomplete loss of pigment, commonly associated with subtle skin changes of erythema and scaling within the hypopigmented patches, as seen in this patient.
Vitiligo often starts as a pale patch of skin that gradually turns completely white. The centre of a patch may be white, with paler skin around it. If there are blood vessels under the skin, the patch may be slightly pink, rather than white. The edges of the patch may be smooth or irregular.
Pityriasis alba presents as pale or light plaques on the skin. Plaques are areas of textured skin. Doctors may describe the plaques as hypopigmented, meaning that the affected skin does not have as much melanin as the surrounding skin. Melanin is the natural pigment that determines people's hair, eye, and skin color.
Pityriasis versicolor can sometimes be confused with vitiligo, as they both cause the skin to become discoloured in patches. But there are ways to tell the difference: vitiligo often develops symmetrically (on both sides of your body at the same time), while pityriasis versicolor may not.
Vitiligo is a common skin condition with characteristic milky white patches of irregular shape. However, several other skin conditions exhibit similar symptoms that can lead to a misdiagnosis of vitiligo. Broadly speaking, loss of skin pigmentation is called leukoderma.
Vitiligo is a chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. This happens when melanocytes – skin cells that make pigment – are attacked and destroyed, causing the skin to turn a milky-white color.
First-line vitiligo treatment includes moderate-to-high strength topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors, both of which dampen the cellular immune response (Table 1).
The first appearance of vitiligo is through small white skin patches that usually appear on the hands, arms, face, or feet although they may appear anywhere on the body.
Vitiligo may occur in the same areas on both sides of the face -- symmetrically -- or it may be patchy -- asymmetrical. The typical vitiligo lesion is flat and depigmented, but maintains the normal skin texture. The dark areas around the eyes are this person's normal skin color.
Pre-vitiligo patches appear as pale yellow patches before they turn into white vitiligo patches. It is beneficial if one notices them and treats this problem at an early stage and not let it convert to vitiligo. Mostly they start affecting the areas like face, knees, elbows, back of the hand, etc.
What are vitiligo symptoms? Vitiligo symptoms showcase discoloration on the most exposed skin but its development is not always predictable. Most of the times, if it develops fully, it turns your entire body into pale white which is often addressed as Universal Vitiligo.
Self-Checks
Here are some of the most common signs of vitiligo that you can check for: Patchy or widespread loss of skin color that usually starts appearing on areas that receive sun exposure, such as the hands, arms, feet, face, or folds of the skin (elbows, knees, or groin)
Usually Doctors Can Diagnose Vitiligo by Looking at Your Skin and Asking About Your Health History. Most of the time, a dermatologist will be able to diagnose vitiligo after examining your skin. (2) They will look for symptoms associated with other skin conditions, such as psoriasis, in order to rule them out.
While many people feel comfortable or enjoy how vitiligo looks, it may not be comfortable for everyone with the condition. In cases of mild vitiligo, a person can camouflage the white patches with colored cosmetic creams and makeup. They should select tones that best match their own skin tone.
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, systemic lupus erythematosus, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis ...
Understanding how melasma is different to vitiligo
Melasma is a condition with too much pigmentation, while vitiligo is a condition with not enough pigmentation. These two conditions are a result of entirely different processes and are unrelated to one another.
The difference between Vitiligo and Leucoderma is related to only their onset. Vitiligo is self-generated while Leucoderma can occur after a cut, a burn or after allergy from some chemical may it be your deoderant, perfume or any other beauty product. Basically cause of Leucoderma can be said accidental.
Vitiligo-like lesions may appear during primary or metastatic melanoma [8]. It affects 3% to 6% of melanoma cases. Leukoderma can precede, from a few months to several years, the appearance of melanoma [1, 9]. Or it can appear on primary or metastatic melanoma spontaneously or during melanoma treatment.
Lichen striatus (LY kuhn stry AY tuhs) is a rash that appears as pink or lightly-colored, scaly, flat bumps. Over the following weeks, these bumps come together to form a line or band on the skin. Sometimes the rash can appear inflamed or redder, with a thicker scale.
Differential Diagnosis
Some of the common differential diagnoses for hypopigmented macules include P. alba, P. versicolor, IGH, vitiligo, PMH, post-inflammatory inflammation, and halo nevus. IGH is more prevalent in the elderly and is hinted by a history of chronic exposure to sunlight and repetitive microtrauma.