Vitiligo is a primary, limited or generalized skin and mucous membrane pigmentation disorder, which is called “white barge” in Chinese medicine. The prevalence of vitiligo is 0.1% to 2.7% in our population, with a higher incidence in children and young adults than in other age groups, and a roughly equal incidence in men and women, with an earlier age of onset in women than in men by about 5 years.
Clinical manifestations: The main manifestation is local or generalized pigment loss. The common sites of vitiligo are eyelids, nostrils, perioral skin, ears, armpits, elbows, wrists, hands, areolas, periumbilical skin, genitalia, inguinal folds, knees, feet, etc. The initial stage of vitiligo is mostly nail to coin size, nearly round, oval or irregular shape, the number of white spots is variable, can be confined to a part of the body and rarely change or disappear on their own.
At present, it is difficult to explain the development of vitiligo by one mechanism alone, but several studies have shown that autoimmune abnormalities are important factors in the development of vitiligo and melanocyte loss, and this theory has been widely recognized by academic circles.