“The fact that there is no information does not mean…

June 25 last year, World Vitiligo Day, a disease that usually remains in the background of information. For this reason we contacted Ignacio Suarez Condedermatologist at the University Hospital Complex of Ourense. It should be remembered that this an aesthetic and non-contagious condition.

-What kind of disease is this?

— Vitiligo is a disease that causes skin depigmentation. It is of autoimmune origin, meaning our immune system attacks these cells, but it is not entirely known why. There are certain genetic and hereditary factors, but that is not all, as well as external factors that can contribute to this. The ultimate reason why our immune system begins to attack melanocytes and destroy them is This is not known correctly.

— There are some factors that are still unknown, but is there any research being done on this?

— Yes, the fact that there is no information does not mean that it has not been studied. Many of the keys to the chain through which it passes are known. What is not known is the final cause. There are very few diseases for which it is known exactly why they occur. There are risk factors, heredity, some other autoimmune diseases, stress… But, Why does this happen to one person and not another?

Here’s what’s unknown.

— Are there people who have vitiligo more often than others?

“If people have a family history of vitiligo, if you have another autoimmune disease, for example if you have thyroid problems, the chances are greater, but they are small. All these are small bricks that make up the disease one day or not, but not because of the skin type. It doesn’t matter whether you have dark or light skin. It does not matter.

— Does vitiligo develop over time or can you be born with this disease?

“It will develop because melanocytes at birth do not function fully. In fact, newborn melanocytes are few immature. Normally, youth appears at about 20 years of age, although it can appear at any age.

— Is it possible to carry out tests to find out if you have this gene?

— There is no evidence because there is no single gene. There is a certain predisposition, but there are many genetic targets involved that cannot be measured because It’s not always genetic. It is usually diagnosed because the patient notices a white spot, often after summer.

— Many other diseases are divided into types, vitiligo too?

– Yes, there have been many attempts at classification. We usually classify it as located, when it is available in very few places. Sometimes very typical areas are found, such as the face, wrists, ankles, groin and genital area. There are cases that generalizedin which these spots appear on many areas of the body. There may even be cases where almost all body color is lost. For older people, there is a special type called segmental vitiligowhich affects only one side of the body.

— Depending on the type of vitiligo, is there a treatment?

“Many treatments have been tried throughout history. There is no completely effective cure yet. There are patients who don’t respond to anything, while others react to the first thing they are given. There are various treatment methods.from topical medications to ultraviolet light therapy or systemic medications.

The problem is that since this is a pathology that does not affect health, but is only an aesthetic problem, it is not very practical to carry out very aggressive treatments. New molecules and promising treatments are starting to appear that are giving good results, but we still have to see if these treatments will reach our health care system. The future is promising, but We’ll have to see how it develops.

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