Dermatoscopic patterns in vitiligo

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a chronic disease characterized by the appearance of depigmented spots on various parts of the body. Bright white spots on the skin cause the psychosocial maladjustment of individuals with this condition. To date, modern medicine lacks effective methods for the objective and accessible diagnosis of this disease. However, research methods, such as dermatoscopy, can be useful in diagnosing vitiligo and determining its stage.

AIM: This study aimed to identify the main dermatoscopic patterns of vitiligo in association with the activity of the process.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: To participate in the study, 63 patients with diagnosed vitiligo were examined. Patients participating in the study were divided into three groups: 34 patients with progressive course, 11 with stable condition, and 18 at the stage of repigmentation. A dermatoscopic examination was performed using a Delta 20T dermatoscope. Statistical processing of research materials was carried out using the SPSS statistics software package.

RESULTS: The most significant changes were found in the perifollicular area. Progressive vitiligo was characterized by perifollicular pigmentation (91.2%), an altered pigment network (97.1%), blurred spot border (94.1%), and specific structures, such as star-like formations and a “comet tail.” The stable vitiligo was characterized by perifollicular depigmentation (81.8%) and a sharp border of the spots (72.7%). For the stage of repigmentation, marginal hyperpigmentation (100%), perifollicular depigmentation (72.2%), blurred spot border (77.8%), and “islets of pigmentation” (77.8%) were observed.

CONCLUSION: The diagnostic dermatoscopic patterns of vitiligo have been developed for the first time, and their value has been proven. Dermatoscopy is a promising non-invasive auxiliary method used to diagnose vitiligo and determine the stage of the disease.