Vitiligo: The Disease Michael Jackson Was Diagnosed Having

Vitiligo is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes (the cells that make pigment) in the skin are destroyed. This results in white patches appearing on the skin in different parts of the body. Similar patches also appear on both the membranous mucosa (tissues that line the inside of the mouth and nose), and the retina (inner layer of the eyeball). The hair that grows on the affected areas sometimes turns white.

Vitiligo affects about 1 percent of the world’s population. Vitiligo may also be hereditary; that is, it can run in families. Children whose parents have vitiligo are more likely to develop vitiligo. In fact, 30 percent of people with vitiligo have a family member with the disease.

Causes of Vitiligo
The cause is unknown but researchers believe that vitiligo is caused by an autoimmune disease {a disease in which a person's immune system reacts against the body's own organs or tissues}. It has also been reported that a single event such as a sunburn or emotional distress can trigger vitiligo.
However, these have not been scientifically proven as the causes of vitiligo.

Symptoms of Vitiligo
The most notable symptom of vitiligo is white patches (depigmentation) on their skin. These patches are more commonly found on sun-exposed areas of the body, including the hands, feet, arms, face, and lips. Other common areas for white patches to appear are the armpits and groin, and around body orifices such as the mouth, eyes, nostrils, navel, genitals, and rectum.

Also, people with vitiligo may have premature graying of the scalp hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, and beard and dark skinned people may notice a loss of color inside their mouths.

Pattern and Spread of Vitiligo
Vitiligo may spread slowly in some people and rapidly in some other people. Vitiligo generally appears in these patterns:

Vitiligo generally appears in one of three patterns:
1. Focal pattern - the depigmentation is limited to one or only a few areas

2. Segmental pattern - depigmented patches develop on only one side of the body

3. Generalized pattern {the most common pattern} - Depigmentation occurs symmetrically on both sides of the body.

Treatment of Vitiligo
There is NO CURE for vitiligo but there treatments that can be used to improve or slow down the condition. Treatment options include:

- Topical Steroid Therapy – Use of corticosteroid creams

- Depigmentation – Permanent removal of all skin pigment, usually done for people who the vitiligo has covered over 50 percent of their skin.

- Psoralen photochemotherapy – This is the use of as psoralen and ultraviolet A therapy also known as PUVA therapy. It is used to repigment the white patches of skin.

- Use of sunscreens and cosmetics

- Psychological therapy