Vitiligo
What are the signs and symptoms of the disease?
The chalk white skin lesions of vitiligo are often found on the face, lips, hands, arms, legs, and genitals. There is no pain or itching with the lesions. The lesions tend to be more prominent over bony areas, body openings, and around folds in the skin. Vitiligo is also more common in areas where the skin has been injured. The lesions are usually uniform in shape and occur on both sides of the body. If hair follicles are involved, the person may have premature graying of head and body hair.
People with vitiligo are generally healthy, but they are more likely to have the following disorders:
Addison''s disease, or decreased function of the adrenal gland
alopecia areata, a type of hair loss
hyperthyroidism, or increased function of the thyroid gland
hypothyroidism, or decreased function of the thyroid gland
pernicious anemia, which involves a low red blood cell count
uveitis, an inflammation of the eye
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