title: Generalized vitiligo post radiotherapy in a breast cancer patient.
abstract: Vitiligo is a common depigmentation disorder of skin, etiology of which is poorly understood. It has been rarely reported as a consequence of radiation at the site of irradiation, more so in patients with prior history of vitiligo. We report a rare clinical vignette that documents radiation-induced skin depigmentation, which started at the irradiated site and later manifested as generalized vitiligo, in a breast cancer patient with no family history of vitiligo. Studies describing the relationship between skin depigmentation and radiotherapeutic dose are scanty. The possible etiopathological mechanisms of vitiligo and radiation as a potential triggering factor for its development, which has been described in the literature, have been highlighted in this article.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Gangadhar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vajrala
authors.forename: Piyush K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Shitalkumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Surana
authors.forename: Donald J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Fernandes
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000532:radiotherapy; D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000175:diagnosis*