A Clinical Study of 217 Cases of Vitiligo / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

Vitiligo is an acquired, disfiguring skin disease characterized by the loss of melanin, which results in depigmented areas of the skin. It affects at least 1% of the world's population. In countries where people are dark skinned, vitiligo is a major health problem. The pathogenesis of vitiligo has not been fully elucidated, but three possible origins, autoimmune, neurohumoral and self destruction of melanocyte, have been described. The clinical manifestations of vitiligo are well described in many reports. However in Korea, a few studies on the clinical features of vitiligo have been performed. Authors studied 217 Korean cases of vitiligo who had been visited at the Department of Dermatology, Kyung Hee University Hospital during the last 1 year (1978.4.1~1979.3.31). (countinued..)