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Vitiligo [pronunciation vit-ill-eye-go] or leucoderma, is also known as white spot disease. People with this disorder suffer from pigment loss as the melanocytes are destroyed and patchy areas of white skin appear on the body. The melanocytes form the pigment that gives color to the skin, and when they stop producing melanin white patches appear, often on many different parts of the body.

The condition affects male and female and all races are equally at risk of developing the disease.The condition develops in fairly young people, but most commonly 20 to 30 years of age; few people over 40 will develop vitiligo . It is not an uncommon disease, an estimated 1-2% of people suffer from vitiligo.

SYMPTOMS
- Patches of white skin appear on the body, usually on areas that are commonly exposed to the sun, such as arms, hands and face.
- Patchiness may also affect genital and rectal area, armpits and groin.
- In addition to pigment loss, there may be premature graying of hair, eyebrows and lashes.
- Loss of pigmentation may be limited to a small area while generalized vitiligo may spread rapidly. Often the condition progresses slowly, with pigment being lost over several years.

DIAGNOSIS
- Physical examination will immediately reveal the pigment loss and the physician will suspect vitiligo. A skin sample [biopsy] will confirm the absence of melanocytes.
- Medical history will be taken by the doctor to ascertain important facts such as earlier sunburn at the site of the condition. The patient may be extremely sensitive to the sun. There may be some family history of autoimmune disease.
- Other medical conditions must be ruled out: Vitiligo can be associated with pernicious anemia, or hyperthyroidism - a blood sample will be required so that blood cell count and thyroid activity can be checked.

When underlying conditions and other medical possibilities have been eliminated from the diagnosis, the presence of vitiligo can be confirmed.

TREATMENT
The principal aim of treating vitiligo is to improve the appearance of the individual. Every case will be different, demanding a variety of methods, and will depend on the size of the patches of depigmented skin and their location on the body.

MEDICAL THERAPIES
Various therapies are available to lessen the appearance of white patches on the skin caused by vitiligo. All are slow to produce results and patience is required before any improvement can be discerned. Usually, regular treatment is required for many months to bring about any improvement

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