Vitiligo is a condition which involves complete loss of melanin,
the primary skin pigment. The cause of vitiligo is unknown but it
appears to be an acquired condition and may appear at any age. The
resulting lesions are white in comparison to the surrounding skin.
Vitiligo may occur in the same areas on both sides of the face or
it may be patchy. The typical vitiligo lesion is flat and
depigmented, but maintains the normal skin texture.
Review Date: 09/11/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of
Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of
Medicine; and Roy Colven, MD, Dermatologist, Associate Professor of
Medicine, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle,
Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
