Is there a link between vitiligo and autoimmune disease?
On the one hand, most doctors think of vitiligo as a disorder that is localised to the skin. But, on the other, scientists know it can be a sign of other systemic autoimmune diseases. They also know that vitiligo targets the melanocytes in other parts of our body, not just in our skin.
What do you need to know about vitiligo?
If you have vitiligo, it’s important to screen for additional autoimmune diseases. According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), this includes knowing your family’s autoimmune medical history and keeping a list of symptoms.
Can a person with vitiligo develop hypothyroidism?
“This builds on the theory pointing to an autoimmune pathogenesis for vitiligo,” Dr. Hamzavi says. “Most patients with vitiligo will not develop autoimmune disease, but a significant minority will develop hypothyroidism.
What are the comorbidities of the disease vitiligo?
“Vitiligo is a systemic disease with multiple comorbidities,” Dr. Iltefat Hamzavi from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich., told Reuters Health by email. Vitiligo, with an estimated prevalence ranging from 0.5% to 1%, is characterized by selective loss of melanocytes and patchy depigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes.
Which autoimmune conditions are associated with vitiligo?
2 Specifically, vitiligo is associated with: Autoimmune thyroid diseases like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease Pernicious anemia Rheumatoid arthritis Psoriasis Lupus Inflammatory bowel disease Type 1 diabetes
What are vitiligo causes and symptoms?
Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin disease where there is a progressive destruction of the skin’s pigment producing cells (melanocytes), that results in areas of abnormally white skin. Signs and symptoms of vitiligo are white spots or irregular areas adjacent to normally pigmented skin.
Is vitiligo a rare disease?
Take the case of vitiligo, for example. Technically, it’s a disease, and a rare and unusual one at that, in which patches of skin lose their pigment. But despite the odd way it looks, it’s completely harmless. Vitiligo is a rare skin condition that affects both humans and animals. It causes large patches of skin to lose its pigment.
What makes vitiligo worse?
Dry skin is another factor that can make vitiligo worse. Dry skin is a sign that the body is unable to disburse proper amounts of water to the layers of the skin, meaning that the body is unhealthy.