title: Marginal vitiligo: an unusual depigmenting disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Marginal vitiligo, or inflammatory vitiligo with raised borders is a unique subset of vitiligo vulgaris presenting with scattered depigmented, pruritic patches surrounded by a raised, erythematous border. Alternative diagnoses include discoid lupus erythematosus and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To properly guide treatment, it is important to exclude other conditions that present with a similar pattern of depigmentation. This requires the ability to identify specific cutaneous and histologic clues that support this diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 22 year-old man presented with a history of depigmented, pruritic patches and surrounding raised, erythematous borders. Several areas of depigmentation on the scalp were associated with alopecia. Punch biopsy of the rim of a patch was performed and sent for routine hematoxylin and eosin staining and direct immunofluorescence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Histopathology revealed a spongiotic dermatitis with superficial dermal lymphocytic infiltrate and eosinophils; DIF demonstrated no immunoreactants. A diagnosis of inflammatory vitiligo with raised borders was thus made based on consistent clinical and histopathologic features. The symptoms improved with topical clobetasol 0.05% cream twice daily.
authors.forename: Ritika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trikha
authors.forename: Nancye
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McCowan
authors.affiliation: University of Mississippi Medical Center.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brodell
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D002990:Clobetasol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008179:Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid / Q000175:diagnosis; D016410:Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D002990:Clobetasol