Senile leukoderma, also known as idiopathic punctate hypopigmentation, is one of the manifestations of skin aging, caused by a decrease in local dopa-positive melanocytes. The disease is common in people over 50 years of age, and the clinical manifestation is mainly the appearance of large rice-grain to mung bean-sized round white spots on the skin of the chest, back, abdomen and other compounded areas, slightly depressed, with varying numbers, often increasing with age. Yellow bumps often occur in the forehead or cheeks of the elderly, as scattered, elevated yellowish or yellow round nodules, there may be one or more, it is formed by the normal sebaceous glands in the skin of the elderly, so it is also known as “sebaceous adenoma of the elderly”.
Age-related leukoplakia is mainly due to melanin loss, and there are dozens of pathogenic factors, such as: 1, endocrine and immune dysfunction: certain pathogenic factors (chemical and heavy metal toxins) lead to immune dysfunction and endocrine imbalance, resulting in anti-melanocyte antibodies, causing melanocyte damage and loss and morbidity. The damaged melanocytes can release antigen again, stimulating the body to produce more anti-melanocyte antibodies, so that more melanocytes are destroyed, thus forming a vicious circle, leading to further development of the disease. The human immune response is a complex physiopathological process. In addition, long-term psychological stress, trauma can also lead to imbalance in the body’s neurohumoral regulation, endocrine disruption and morbidity.
2, trace element deficiency: trace elements are active substances involved in the middle of the body’s metabolism, such as copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, etc., they are directly involved in the synthesis of melanocytes, and the role of protecting melanocytes from heavy metal toxicity damage. Research has proven that micronutrient deficiency and disproportion can lead to melanocyte synthesis disorders.
3, neuropsychiatric factors: the rhythm of modern life makes some people psychologically overburdened, businessmen, every encounter with poor business and anxiety; workers, sometimes worried about unemployment and worry; organ staff, because of interpersonal relations and promotion and overthinking. Although some people are broad-minded, strong mental capacity, but encounter a huge blow of unexpected events, beyond the limits of psychological tolerance, will also fall into the bitterness. Long-term psychological stress and mental overstrain can lead to endocrine disorders, immune dysfunction and morbidity. In addition, long-term overload of work pressure, irregular night life and bad habits, so that the body is often in a state of excessive fatigue is also a cause.
4, genetic factors: clinical observation, only a few cases are related to genetics, but does not affect the treatment of the disease.
5, trauma: burns, burns, knife stab wounds, mosquito bites, infections after the formation of skin white spots. Trauma is the triggering factor, and it develops on the basis of the disharmony of qi and blood in the muscle.
Older people often have spots of different sizes on their skin. These spots are benign changes of the skin in old age, which are not harmful to the health of the body and will not become cancerous and do not require treatment.