Vitiligo (/ˌvɪtɪˈlaɪɡoʊ/, vi-ti-leye-goh) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color.

[1] The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but it may be related to immune system changes, genetic factors, stress, or sun exposure.

[6] The condition can show up on any skin type as a light peachy color and can appear on any place on the body in all sizes.

The only sign of vitiligo is the presence of pale patchy areas of depigmented skin which tend to occur on the extremities.

[7][8] The loss of skin pigmentation is particularly noticeable around body orifices, such as the mouth, eyes, nostrils, genitalia and umbilicus.

[12] Although multiple hypotheses have been suggested as potential triggers that cause vitiligo, studies strongly imply that changes in the immune system are responsible for the condition.

[2][13] Vitiligo has been proposed to be a multifactorial disease with genetic susceptibility and environmental factors both thought to play a role.

[18] A genome wide association study found approximately 36 independent susceptibility loci for generalized vitiligo.

[19] The TYR gene encodes the protein tyrosinase, which is not a component of the immune system but is an enzyme of the melanocyte that catalyzes melanin biosynthesis, and a major autoantigen in generalized vitiligo.

The original protein and sequence is highly conserved in evolution, and is found in humans, chimpanzees, rhesus monkeys, and bush babies.

[29][30] This mtDNA can be sensed by the cGAS-STING pathway resulting in pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokines production promoting the recruitment of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells.

[36] Due to the higher risks of skin cancer, the United Kingdom's National Health Service suggests phototherapy be used only if primary treatments are ineffective.

[2] Topical preparations of immune-suppressing medications including glucocorticoids (such as 0.05% clobetasol or 0.10% betamethasone) and calcineurin inhibitors (such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus) are considered to be first-line vitiligo treatments.

[2] In July 2022, ruxolitinib cream (sold under the brand name Opzelura) was approved for medical use in the United States for the treatment of vitiligo.

Because of the high doses of UVA and psoralen, PUVA may cause side effects such as sunburn-type reactions or skin freckling.

[37] Descriptions of a disease believed to be vitiligo date back to a passage in the medical text Ebers Papyrus c. 1500 BC in ancient Egypt.

Professional wrestler Bryan Danielson[50] and French actor Michaël Youn are also affected,[51] as is former French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe,[52] Miss Universe Egypt 2024 Logina Salah,[53] former Roman Catholic priest, Governor of Pampanga and TV host Eddie Panlilio, and model and former Miss Colombia 2007 Taliana Vargas.

[54][55] The Adult Swim animated sitcom The Boondocks satirizes the idea of vitiligo in Uncle Ruckus, one of the show's characters.

[56] As of July 2013[update], afamelanotide is in phase II and III clinical trials for vitiligo and other skin diseases.

[58] In October 1992, a scientific report was published of successfully transplanting melanocytes to vitiligo-affected areas, effectively repigmenting the region.

This pathway is activated by CXCR3+ CD8+ T cells, creating a positive feedback loop with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) chemokines from keratinocytes, potentially contributing to vitiligo.