Approach to hypopigmentation disorders in adults

Acquired hypopigmentation disorders in adults can be classified on the basis of lesion extent, and can generally be divided into disorders with localized, widespread or generalized lesions. Clinical findings, comprising the degree of pigment loss (hypopigmentation and depigmentation) and associated morphological findings (e.g. epidermal changes, infiltration and induration), are used to further distinguish the disorders. Diagnosing the disorders is important because the underlying causes may be treatable and some of the disorders are associated with malignancies. A systemic approach is useful for this clinical condition, as the causes are heterogeneous and investigations are usually nondiagnostic.