What does vitiligo mean?
Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes patches of skin to lose their natural pigment. The affected areas may appear white, pale, or lighter than the surrounding skin, and they can enlarge, remain stable, or recur. Vitiligo is not contagious and can develop in people of any skin tone, although it is often more visually noticeable on darker skin. The condition results from the loss or disruption of melanocytes, the cells that produce skin pigment, and may be associated with other autoimmune conditions. In everyday discussion, the term describes both the patches themselves and the condition as a whole. Although vitiligo is medically well established, it is sometimes confused with albinism, even though the two conditions differ in cause, inheritance, and pattern. Understanding the distinction is important for accurate diagnosis, treatment, and public discussion of the condition.
nounVitiligo is a chronic autoimmune skin condition in which patches of skin lose their pigment because the pigment-producing cells, called melanocytes, are destroyed or cease functioning. It is not contagious, and it can affect people of every skin tone.
- A chronic autoimmune condition in which patches of skin lose their natural pigment.
"She was diagnosed with vitiligo after white patches appeared on her hands and around her mouth."
"She was diagnosed with vitiligo after white patches appeared on her hands and around her mouth."
"Dermatologists classify vitiligo according to its distribution, pattern, and other clinical features."
The plural is uncommon; the condition is normally named as an uncountable noun.
"Different vitiligos can have distinct patterns and rates of progression."
Vitiligo is not a disease of "white" skin; it is an autoimmune loss of pigment that can affect people of every skin tone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of vitiligo
The English term comes from Latin vitiligo, an ancient medical expression for white skin or a skin disease characterized by pale patches. The Latin word is generally associated with vitulus, meaning calf, probably because of an old comparison between the pale patches of affected skin and the white markings sometimes seen on calves. Its exact ancient derivation is uncertain, but related Latin forms gave rise to words such as vituline and vitelline.
How vitiligo is actually used
Vitiligo is a medical term used in formal, clinical, and educational contexts. It is normally treated as an uncountable name for the condition, although a plural is occasionally used when referring to separate cases.
Easily confused with vitiligo
Vitiligo is usually an acquired autoimmune condition that produces irregular patches of depigmentation, whereas albinism is an inherited reduction or absence of pigment affecting the eyes, skin, and hair more generally.