The perilesional skin in vitiligo: a colorimetric in vivo study of 25 patients.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this work was to study in vivo the perilesional skin in vitiligo with a colorimetric method.


METHODS
Twenty-five patients affected by vitiligo were included. For each patient, three different areas were considered: the lesional, the perilesional and the normal skin as far as 5 cm from the nearest vitiligo spot. Skin pigmentation measurements were performed with a chromameter.


RESULTS
The results showed that luminance L* decreased significantly in relation to increasing distance from the vitiligo spot. As expected, L* in the vitiligo spot was significantly higher than in the perilesional (P<0.0001) and normal skin (P<0.0001). There was a small difference in L* between normal skin as far as 5 cm from the nearest vitiligo spot and perilesional skin. In contrast, the pigmentation index (b*) gradually increased from lesional to perilesional to normal skin. Furthermore, the comparison of the b* value between the normal skin as far as 5 cm from the nearest vitiligo spot was higher than perilesional skin and it was statistically significant (P<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results in vivo underline that the perilesional skin near the vitiligo spot is lighter than normal skin as far as 5 cm from the vitiligo spot.
Brazzelli
V
V
Department of Human and Hereditary Pathology, Institute of Dermatology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. vbrazzelli@libero.it
Muzio
F
F
Antoninetti
M
M
Villani
S
S
Donadini
F
F
Altomare
A
A
Borroni
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003124:Colorimetry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000473:pathology*