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vitiligo
(vit″ĭ-li´go)
a type of hypomelanosis caused by destruction of melanocytes, resulting in small or large patches of depigmentation that may have darkened borders and may slowly enlarge. The etiology is unknown; some cases seem to have a hereditary component
and others may be part of an autoimmune disease. adj., vitilig´inous, adj.
.Several types have been distinguished: localized vitiligo is in just a circumscribed area of the body surface. Generalized vitiligo includes types involving patches of depigmentation over a considerable part of the body surface, usually in a symmetrical distribution. When this type is primarily on the face
and hands, it is called acrofacial vitiligo.Universal vitiligo is a type involving depigmentation of all or nearly all of the body surface.
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