What is the difference between tinea versicolor and vitiligo?

Tinea versicolor is actually tinea versicolor, a superficial fungal disease. Vitiligo is a white patch on the skin, which is both congenital and acquired. Many people do not know the difference between vitiligo and pityriasis versicolor. In terms of concept and site of onset, there are essential differences between pityriasis versicolor and vitiligo.

1. Concept of sweat stains

Tinea versicolor, commonly known as tinea versicolor, is a superficial fungal disease caused by Malassezia furfur infecting the stratum corneum of the epidermis. The disease is found throughout the world and is common in tropical and temperate regions with high relative humidity. Young people, especially young men, are prone to tinea versicolor due to their frequent activities and sweating. If they do not change their clothes and dry their skin in time, they are prone to tinea versicolor. Tinea versicolor is also more common in people who use corticosteroids, because these people have a prolonged replacement cycle of epidermal cells, which is conducive to fungal growth. Tinea versicolor will improve if the hormones are discontinued. In addition, physical weakness, malnutrition, diabetes and pregnancy can induce this disease.

2. Leukoplakia

Leukoplakia can be congenital or acquired. Congenital leukoplakia may be caused by various reasons during embryonic development. Generally, white patches appear on the skin at birth or shortly after birth, such as achromic nevus, anemic nevus, achromic incontinence pigmenti, etc. The distribution of these white spots is generally limited or has certain characteristics, and the color of the white spots will not be very white. As the skin grows and develops, these white spots will neither fade nor expand significantly after stabilizing. There are many causes of acquired vitiligo. Since the skin is in direct contact with the external environment, the appearance of white spots on the skin may be caused by both internal reasons and external environmental factors, such as sun exposure, chemicals, fungal infections, etc. There are many skin diseases that can cause skin hypopigmentation or depigmentation. Some inflammatory skin diseases can cause white spots on local parts of the skin. These white spots usually occur before other inflammatory skin diseases, such as eczema and psoriasis, which destroy the melanocytes in the basal layer of the skin and cause skin depigmentation.

3. Difference in the site of disease onset

The scope of leukoplakia can be localized or generalized. Congenital leukoplakia can be localized, such as anemic nevus, apigmented nevus and apigmented incontinence pigmenti, etc., or it can be systemic, such as albinism and mottled disease. The distribution of acquired leukoplakia varies depending on its cause.

Most of the areas where pityriasis versicolor occurs are round or oval spots with inconspicuous surroundings. The key point is that there are usually a lot of fine scales on the surface of pityriasis versicolor. Pityriasis versicolor mainly appears in areas where sebaceous glands are well developed, such as the neck, upper chest, back and arms. The colors range from gray, brown to yellow-brown, and sometimes multiple colors coexist, resembling spots.