[Vitiligo. Diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and current patient management]

Vitiligo is characterized by patches of depigmented skin in a localized to generalized distribution. Up to now, vitiligo is not curable and mostly has a chronic and progressive course. The disorder may be part of a polygenic, multifactorial transmitted disease with an increased disposition to autoimmune disorders, which should be screened for. Depending on the age of the patient, the psychological strain, the location, the body surface area involved, and the disease activity, several conservative as well as surgical therapeutic options may be partially successful. How long the induced repigmentation remains and the effect of the available therapeutic options on the natural history of vitiligo remain to be clarified.