What’s new in vitiligo?

Vitiligo is an acquired inflammatory disorder, with underlying genetic susceptibility, resulting in death or loss of function of skin melanocytes and a consequent disappearance of the principal brown pigment of the skin, melanin. It is the most common hypopigmenting disease, affecting ~1% of the population worldwide – with considerable geographical and racial variation. Prevalence tends to be highest in dark-skinned populations, where depigmentation is most visible and carries most stigma. In pale-skinned populations, vitiligo could well be underestimated, as it may only become apparent when unaffected skin becomes tanned.