Review Article
Vitiligo - Part 2 - classification, histopathology and treatment
Adriane Reichert Faria, Roberto Gomes Tarlé, Gerson Dellatorre, Marcelo Távora Mira, Caio Cesar Silva de Castro
Published:
DOI:
10.1590/abd1806-4841.20142717
License:
©2014 by Anais Brasileiros de DermatologiaThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License which permits unrestricted
non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original work is properly cited.
Abstract
In an unprecedented effort in the field of vitiligo, a global consensus resulted on a suggested new classification protocol for the disease. The main histopathological finding in vitiligo is the total absence of functioning melanocytes in the lesions, while the inflammatory cells most commonly found on the edges of the lesions are CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Physical and pharmacological treatment strategies aim to control the autoimmune damage and stimulate melanocyte migration from the unaffected edges of lesions and the outer hair follicle root sheath to the affected skin; moreover, surgical treatments can be combined with topical and physical treatments.