A Rare Case of Congenital Vitiligo in a Neonate

Vitiligo affects one percent of general population and usually manifests in the second and third decades of life. Vitiligo is believed to be an acquired condition, though a positive family history is seen in 30 to 40 percent of cases. Few cases of vitiligo at birth have been reported. We report a case of congenital vitiligo in a neonate and discuss disease course and pathogenesis.

A 27- days-old female neonate patient presented with multiple, rapidly progressing, depigmented patches over the body that had been present since birth. The lesions showed chalky white accentuation under Wood's lamp. There was positive history of vitiligo in the mother. The child was started on topical fluticasone propionate 0.05% cream in the morning and tacrolimus 0.03% ointment at night. At the one-year of follow-up period, there were no new lesions, and partial repigmentation was noticed in the existing lesions.

Manifestation of vitiligo at birth is a very rare occurrence. The presentation at birth in this case suggests a genetic link, as opposed to acquired factors, and supports the in-utero hypothesis, adding to the scant literature available on congenital vitiligo.