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Vitiligo is a skin disease characterized by the appearance of foci of depigmentation on the body of a child. According to statistics, the incidence of vitiligo in children depends on their age group, the presence of appropriate heredity and trigger factors for the development of the disease. Cases of registration of this disease in newborn children are rare, usually vitiligo debuts in adolescence.
The formation of skin tone depends on the level of melanin pigment, which is normally produced in human skin over almost the entire area of the body. The exceptions are the palmar surfaces of the hands and the plantar surfaces of the feet – they do not contain melanocyte cells in representatives of any race.
With insufficient production of melanin, light areas of the skin are formed, which are radically different in color from normal pigmentation and represent a serious cosmetic defect.
Symptoms of Vitiligo in Children
This skin pathology is characterized by a gradual development and a long course. Foci of depigmentation are preceded by the appearance of small pink spots on the skin, which eventually change their color in favor of a milky white color.
As the child grows older, the foci of depigmentation increase and take on a different shape. In young children, such spots are usually oval or rounded, less often in the form of a blot.
If the foci of vitiligo are located on open areas of the child’s body, then under the influence of sunlight, additional symptoms may appear, such as peeling, thickening of the skin in the depigmentation zone, redness and an increase in local temperature. In addition, against the background of a tan, the spots stand out brighter.
Causes of Vitiligo in Children
The true causes of vitiligo in children have not been fully established, but there are a number of factors that play an important role in the formation and development of this skin pathology.
Provoking factors include:
hereditary predisposition;
Previously transferred infectious diseases;
The presence of helminthic invasions in the body of a child;
Weakening of the body’s defenses;
Impact of stress and unfavorable ecology.
It is possible to prove or disprove the influence of one of the above factors only after carrying out appropriate diagnostic measures.
Types of childhood vitiligo
The type of vitiligo directly depends on the nature of the distribution of foci of depigmentation on the body of a child. Below are the main types of this skin disease.
Generalized type of vitiligo, type “A”
It is subdivided into the following forms:
Acrofacial, which is characterized by damage to the distal parts of the limbs (fingers and toes, wrists);
Universal, with extensive damage to the skin (about 80%). This is the rarest form of vitiligo in children;
Vulgar (ordinary) – foci are located on two or more parts of the body;
Mixed
The generalized form of vitiligo is characterized by a long course.
Localized type of vitiligo, type “B”
It is conditionally divided into the following forms:
focal. It is characterized by the location of foci of depigmentation on one side of the body. This type of disease is not prone to progression and spread;
zosteriform. This is a grouping of many small foci of vitiligo in one area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe skin, as in herpes zoster;
Mucous. Depigmented foci are located on the mucous membrane in the oral cavity and on the external genitalia;
Segmental. Spots are localized along the nerves or plexuses.
Diagnosis of vitiligo in children
When making a diagnosis, there should not be any difficulties due to the characteristic clinical picture of the disease. It is better to entrust the diagnosis to a dermatologist, who, after a visual examination of the skin of the child, will give his medical opinion. In some cases, a Wood’s lamp can be used, with which it is possible to detect lesions that are invisible during normal examination.
Treatment of vitiligo in children
The key point in the treatment of childhood vitiligo is the complete restoration of impaired metabolism in the child’s body, because usually it is a metabolic failure that causes insufficient production of melanin skin pigment. To achieve maximum effect, it is recommended to use an integrated approach. The main methods of treating this skin pathology will be presented below.
Photosensitizing therapy
Photosensitizing therapy is aimed at limiting the effect of direct sunlight on the depigmented areas of the child’s skin. Therapeutic agents are sunscreens and other special cosmetic preparations.
Symptomatic therapy
Symptomatic therapy consists in the maximum restoration of the lost pigment-forming function of the child’s skin.
For this purpose, the following methods are used:
Short-term topical application of corticosteroids (about two consecutive months);
Local exposure to photosensitizing agents (Methoxalen), which restore pigmentation on the affected areas of the skin;
In generalized vitiligo, general photochemotherapy is used;
The use of phytopreparations as an addition to the main methods of therapy.
To reduce the severity of a cosmetic defect, skin whitening procedures are used, which are aimed at eliminating the contrast between healthy skin and areas of depigmentation.
Medication also plays a big role in the treatment of vitiligo in children. It should be carried out in combination with photochemotherapy.
Treatment with pharmaceuticals includes the following items:
The use of multivitamin and mineral complexes. This is especially true for children with a total copper deficiency in the body. In such cases, it is possible to additionally prescribe electrophoresis with copper preparations used in areas of depigmentation;
If the cause of vitiligo in a child is endocrine disorders, then it is advisable to conduct hormone therapy under the strict supervision of an endocrinologist;
The appointment of immunocorrective drugs.
Use of antioxidants (vitamin E).
In case of ineffectiveness of conservative treatment, surgical intervention is possible, but only if the foci of depigmentation are located locally.
[Video] Doctor-dermatovenereologist of the highest category Bobchinskaya I. N. – how and how to treat vitiligo at home: