[Genuine vitiligo and its relevance for internal medicine]

After a short explanation of the epidemiology of the genuine vitiligo the pathogenesis of this disease is described above all from the point of view of immunology. The accumulated concomitant diseases, such as pernicious anaemia, diseases of the thyroid glands, diabetes mellitus and so on, are shown, also potential secondary diseases of the adrenal gland and the liver. Though the genesis of the vitiligo is very probable also of autoimmunological nature the causes of the common appearance are still fully unclear as in many other overlapping syndromes. The practical consequences from the hitherto got knowledge about vitiligo and its secondary diseases are discussed.