Segmental Pigmentation Disorder: Clinical Manifestations and Epidemiological Features in 144 patients, a...

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Genetics

Background:

• Segmental pigmentation disorder (SPD) is a condition with hypo- or hyper-pigmented patches.
• These patches are present from infancy and more prominent in darker skin tones.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define the demographic and clinical characteristics of SPD.
• To analyze the long-term course and associated morbidities of SPD.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case-control study at two Israeli pediatric dermatology centers.
• Data collected via telephone questionnaires and medical records from 144 SPD patients and 144 matched controls.
• Analysis of demographic data, lesion characteristics, and extracutaneous morbidities.

Main Results:

• Median age of SPD onset was at birth; 51% of patients were Sephardic Jews.
• Patches were predominantly on the torso (43%), mostly hypopigmented (52%), and stable in size/intensity in most cases.
• No significant differences in extracutaneous morbidities were observed between SPD patients and controls.

Conclusions:

• SPD is characterized by stable, segmentally distributed pigmentary changes, more evident in darker skin.
• The condition typically presents at birth and does not show significant progression in size or intensity over time.
• SPD is not associated with extracutaneous morbidities, suggesting a benign cutaneous condition.