vitiligo

vitiligo
vitiliginous /vit'l ij"euh neuhs/, adj.vitiligoid, adj.
/vit'l uy"goh, -ee"goh/, n. Pathol.
a skin disorder characterized by smooth, white patches on various parts of the body, caused by the loss of the natural pigment. Also called leukoderma, piebald skin.
[1650-60; < L vitiligo form of skin eruption, appar. equiv. to *vitil(is) defective (vit(ium) blemish + -ilis -ILE) + -igo n. suffix]

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Skin disorder manifested by smooth, white spots on various parts of the body.

Though the pigment-making cells of the skin, or melanocytes, are structurally intact, they have lost the ability to synthesize the pigment. The reason for the condition is unclear. Individuals with vitiligo (about 1% of the adult population) are usually in good general health, but vitiligo presents a cosmetic problem that can be serious in dark-skinned individuals. Normal skin color rarely returns, and there is no known cure.

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▪ medical disorder
also called  leukoderma 

      hereditary patchy loss of melanin pigment from the skin. Though the pigment-making cells of the skin, or melanocytes, are structurally intact, they have lost the ability to synthesize the pigment. The reason for this condition is unclear. Vitiligo appears clinically as milk-white, irregularly oval patches of skin, which are small at the beginning but enlarge gradually. These patches are roughly symmetrical and are seen most commonly on the hands, wrists, face, neck, and upper trunk. The hair growing in the depigmented area is also white. Individuals with vitiligo (about 1 percent of the adult population) are usually in good general health, but vitiligo presents a cosmetic problem that can be serious in dark-skinned individuals. The normal skin colour rarely returns and there is no known cure.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Vitiligo — (pronEng|ˈvɪtəˈlaɪgoʊ) or leukoderma is a chronic skin disease that causes loss of pigment, resulting in irregular pale patches of skin. It occurs when the melanocytes, cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function. The… …   Wikipedia

  • Vitiligo — Classification et ressources externes Vitiligo sur peau noire CIM 10 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • vitiligo — [ vitiligo ] n. m. • 1803; « herpès » 1538; mot lat. « tache blanche » ♦ Méd. Trouble de la pigmentation de la peau caractérisé par la présence de taches décolorées, de forme et de localisation variables, entourées par un bord foncé, sans… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Vitíligo — Mano de un afectado por el vitíligo Clasificación y recursos externos CIE 9 709.01 …   Wikipedia Español

  • vitiligo — VITILÍGO s.n. Boală de piele caracterizată prin apariţia unor zone albe, lipsite de pigmenţi. – Din fr. vitiligo. Trimis de ana zecheru, 23.04.2004. Sursa: DEX 98  VITILÍGO s. (MED.) leucopatie. Trimis de siveco, 05.08.2004. Sursa: Sinonime … …   Dicționar Român

  • vitíligo — m. dermat. Alteración de la piel que se caracteriza por la presencia de zonas despigmentadas que crecen progresivamente y de forma centrífuga; generalmente se localizan alrededor de la boca, ano, genitales y extremidades. Es frecuente su… …   Diccionario médico

  • vitiligo — s. f. [Medicina] Doença cutânea caracterizada pelo desaparecimento da pigmentação da pele. = VITILIGEM   ‣ Etimologia: latim vitiligo, inis, erupção cutânea, mancha branca na pele …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • Vitiligo — Vit i*li go, n. [L., a kind of tetter, fr. vitium blemish, vice.] (Med.) A rare skin disease consisting in the development of smooth, milk white spots upon various parts of the body. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Vitilīgo — (Pigmentschwund), ein Verlust des Hautsarbstoffes, bezeichnet verschiedene Veränderungen der Hautdecke; a) einfache od. eigentliche V. (Achroma), meist an der Innenfläche der Oberschenkel, am Hodensacke; die weißen Flecke werden größer, fließen… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Vitilīgo — (Pigmentatrophie), eine Hautkrankheit, bei der auf der Haut scharf begrenzte, weiße, glatte Flecke entstehen, die sich stetig vergrößern, während ihre Grenze von abnorm dunkelm Pigment eingerahmt erscheint. Auch die auf diesen Stellen wachsenden… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Vitiligo — Vitilīgo (lat.), eine Art der Pigmentatrophie (s.d.) …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

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