Clinical and Histopathological Study in Vitiligo Patients

Abstract

Background: Vitiligo, also called leukoderma, is either an acquired or familial, but highly complex pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes, the principle pigment-producing cells in humans, are destroyed. Affecting 0.5%-1% of population worldwide, vitiligo can be a highly disfiguring disorder that is characterized by the development of smooth and porcelain-white patches of skin devoid of protective melanin pigmentation. Methods: This was an cross-sectional study during a period from 2017 to 2018 including 52 clinically diagnosed vitiligo patients. Patient were clinically evaluated and a proper history was taken including patient's age, sex, site, duration, family history, area of community, itching, associated endocrine disorder, associated skin disorder, and clinically examined for the morphological distribution, pattern, and border of the lesion, and looked for signs such as erythema, koebner phenomenon, leukotrichia. Results: More than one third of patients were between 20-30 years of age (38.5%). More than half of patients were females (57.7%). The duration of disease was 12-60 months (Sub acute phase/Intermediate lesion) among more than half of patients (57.7%). Vitiligo vulgaris clinical diagnosis was among more than half of patients (55.8%) followed by Generalised & Segmental (17.3%) and Acrofacial vitiligo (9.6%).Diabetes mellitus was among 11.5% patients and Thyroid disorder was in 7.7% patients. On histological aspect Hypomelanosis and Monodermal cells infiltrate was among majority of patients 86.5% and 76.9% respectively followed by Suprabasal vacuolization was 53.8%. Conclusion: This study indicates the correlation of various pathological alterations with clinical features of vitiligo patients.