Dermoscopy in vitiligo: diagnosis and beyond.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Vitiligo diagnosis is primarily clinical.
• Dermoscopy noninvasively confirms vitiligo and excludes similar conditions.
• Dermoscopy is increasingly used to evaluate disease activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate dermoscopic features of vitiligo.
• To correlate dermoscopic findings with vitiligo disease activity.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 60 vitiligo cases.
• Dermoscopy performed at 10x magnification in polarized mode.
• Assessed perifollicular changes, pigmentary network, and specific features like starburst and comet tail appearance.

Main Results:

• Perifollicular depigmentation (PFD) predicted stable vitiligo.
• Perifollicular pigmentation (PFP) was characteristic of active disease.
• Starburst, altered pigment network, comet tail, and 'tapioca sago' appearance indicated progressive vitiligo.

Conclusions:

• Dermoscopy effectively assesses vitiligo evolution and activity.
• Perifollicular region provides key clues: PFP for active, PFD for stable/remitting disease.