Vitiligo skin disease

Vitiligo is actually what we know as vitiligo. This is an aesthetically irritating disease that is particularly difficult to cure. The most obvious thing is that the patient's skin will be much whiter than normal skin color, and it is in patches. Vitiligo will also be affected by the environment. For example, it will cause pain and itching if stimulated by strong light. Therefore, we still hope that patients with vitiligo can get better quickly. So what is the cause of vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a common multiple skin disease with an incidence rate of 1% to 2%. The darker the skin color, the higher the incidence rate. The disease affects both sexes equally, and is more common in adolescents. About half of patients develop the disease before the age of 20. In recent years, the incidence of vitiligo has been on the rise, and the age of onset has also been getting earlier.

[Cause] Vitiligo is mostly acquired, and the cause of vitiligo is not yet fully understood. There are several possible causative factors:

1. Psychoneural factors. Many vitiligo patients develop the disease after being exposed to various environmental stimuli and mental trauma. Adverse stimuli such as mood swings, anxiety, nervous tension, irritability, depression, etc. can easily cause disorders in the body's physiological and biochemical reactions, inducing or aggravating the development of the disease. Some people also believe that vitiligo is a psychosomatic disease.

2. Autoimmune factors. Many experts believe that vitiligo is an autoimmune disease and may be related to thyroid disease.

3. Melanocyte self-destruction factor

4. Relative deficiency of tyrosine and copper ions

5. Genetic factors. Some people believe that the genetic factor is autosomal dominant inheritance, but there is no consensus yet. Therefore, we can only assume that genetics plays a certain role. The probability of vitiligo occurring in people with family members with vitiligo is 3-12%. If there are neuropsychiatric factors and autoimmunity, the disease is prone to occur.

6. Trauma

7. Microcirculation disorder. Due to the obstruction of microcirculation, nutrients cannot be delivered to the skin. Melanocytes cannot grow and develop normally, causing the skin to become depigmented and vitiligo lesions to appear.

Combining the viewpoints of various theories, it is generally believed that the disease occurs in individuals with genetic predisposition. Under the stimulation of multiple internal and external factors, it manifests as disorders in immune function, nervous system, mental, endocrine, metabolic function, etc., leading to the inhibition of enzyme system or the destruction of melanocytes, or the obstruction of melanosome formation or melanization process, and finally to depigmentation.

Psychological and neurochemical factors may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease.

According to clinical observations, mental factors and trauma are the main inducing factors of vitiligo, and summer is the peak season for this disease.

[Clinical manifestations]

Predisposing sites

This disease often occurs on the face, neck, back, trunk and external genitalia. It can occur anywhere on the skin. It is most common in the head, face, neck, buttocks, and back of hands. It often occurs in areas that are easily exposed to sunlight and damaged by friction. Maybe it has something to do with exposure to light.

Main manifestations

The lesions appear as pure white round or irregular depigmentation spots with a smooth surface, clear boundaries, and increased pigmentation at the edges. The whitened skin is more sensitive to sunlight than normal skin and will turn red after a little exposure to the sun. The disease progresses slowly, gradually spreading to the surrounding areas, merging with each other or stopping spreading when it reaches a certain extent, and remains unchanged for a long time. Vitiligo that occurs on the face has a short onset and a small area. If it can be treated early, the effect will be better, so early treatment is crucial.

The main symptom is milky white spots on the local skin, and the hair in the affected area may be normal or turn white. This disease is generally painless and itchy. If the white spots are large in area, there may occasionally be a burning sensation after being exposed to the sun in summer. The cause of the disease is quite complicated. In recent years, some people believe that it may be related to immune disorders. Some people have also found that the levels of trace elements such as copper, zinc, and iron in patients are often low, so they believe that this may be caused by a decrease in trace elements or abnormal enzyme metabolism. In addition, some vitiligo occurs after contact with certain chemicals, or when inflammation such as frostbite, eczema, neurodermatitis, psoriasis or discoid lupus erythematosus subsides, vitiligo may also appear on local skin. This is called secondary vitiligo. Some patients with diabetes, pernicious anemia, gastric achlorhydria, hyperthyroidism, and alopecia areata may also suffer from vitiligo. Other patients develop vitiligo after being mentally stimulated.