17 Apr 2017

Vitiligo is a disorder in which white patches appear on the skin and it happens because the melanocytes cells that make colour pigment in the skin are destroyed.

In an interview, chief communications and public relations officer at Princess Marina Hospital, Mr Donnell Kutlapye said the exact causes of Vitiligo is not known, but thought to be autoimmune, which means it happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks some parts in its own body and in this case menanocytes attacking melanocytes.

He further said it is associated with emotional stress and sunburn.

Mr Kutlapye said the disease can occur at any age, but is common around 20 years and all races are equally affected, but is more in darker skinned people.

He noted that it affects both sexes equally and it also runs in families.

He said the signs and symptoms of this disorder are white patches on the skin which are more common in body parts which are exposed to the sun like hands, feet, arms, around the mouth, eyes and nostrils.

It can also cover the rectal area, navel and armpits. He noted that these patches may or may not spread and if they do spread, they do so slowly and there is also rarely any itching.

Mr Kutlapye said the person who gets these signs and symptoms should go to a health facility, where a health professional will collect history, do blood tests, eye tests and biopsies (taking a sample from the affected area).

He concluded that the choice of treatment depends on the number of patches and how much area they cover.

He noted that the doctor may use creams and oral medicines and the patient may need counselling and support as treatment can prolong. BOPA