title: Vitiligo: symptoms, pathogenesis and treatment.
abstract: Vitiligo is an acquired cutaneous disorder of pigmentation, with an incidence of 0.5&#x0025; to 2&#x0025; worldwide. There are three major hypotheses for the pathogenesis of vitiligo that are not exclusive of each other: biochemical/cytotoxic, neural and autoimmune. Recent data provide strong evidence supporting an autoimmune pathogenesis of vitiligo. As vitiligo can have a major effect on quality of life, treatment can be considered and should preferably begin early when then disease is active. Current treatment modalities are directed towards stopping progression of the disease and achieving repigmentation. Therapies include corticosteroids, topical immunomodulators, photo(chemo)therapy, surgery, combination therapies and depigmentation of normally pigmented skin. It seems that traditional Chinese medicine could be more effective than the current treatment for vitligo.
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghafourian
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghafourian
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sadeghifard
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mohebi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shokoohini
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nezamoleslami
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hamat
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D010789:Phototherapy; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*