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[Leucoderma in children: Review of the literature]
C Moulinas1, H Dollfus2, D Lipsker1
1Clinique dermatologique de Strasbourg, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, 1, place de l'Hôpital, 67091 Strasbourg cedex, France.
Insights
Diagnosing childhood leucoderma can be challenging. This study proposes a systematic clinical and laboratory approach to differentiate various causes of leucoderma in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dermatology
- Dermatology
- Medical Diagnostics
Context:
- Leucoderma (vitiligo) is a common skin condition in children.
- Accurate diagnosis can be difficult during initial consultations.
- Existing literature on diagnostic approaches is limited.
Purpose:
- To analyze diagnoses associated with childhood leucoderma.
- To propose a practical differential diagnosis approach for pediatric leucoderma.
- To guide clinicians in diagnosing various causes of leucoderma in children.
Summary:
- A literature review identified 179 relevant articles on leucoderma in children.
- Most diagnoses can be made clinically based on age of onset and lesion distribution.
- Some cases necessitate further laboratory investigations for accurate diagnosis.
Impact:
- Provides a systematic clinical and laboratory framework for diagnosing pediatric leucoderma.
- Aids pediatricians and dermatologists in differentiating various causes of leucoderma.
- Enhances diagnostic accuracy and management of leucoderma in children.
Background:
Leucoderma is a frequent presenting complaint in children and it is sometimes difficult to make a definite diagnostic during the first consultation. The aim of this study is to analyse the diagnoses associated with leucoderma in children in order to propose a practical approach to their differential diagnosis.
Material And Methods:
We performed a review of the literature using the keywords "leucoderma children review", "leucoderma Ito" and "nevus depigmentosus" in the Medline database. All relevant articles were included.
Results:
Four hundred and thirty-five articles were retrieved and 179 were analysed. A clinical approach was proposed in 6 articles and investigations in 15 articles.
Discussion:
Causal diagnosis of leucoderma may frequently be made on clinical grounds by determining the age of onset and distribution of lesions. Nevertheless, some situations require investigation. The literature is limited regarding clinical approaches and examinations in leucoderma. Herein, we present a systematic clinical and laboratory approach to the differential diagnosis of these skin disorders.
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