Leucoderma (Leukoderma)

Leucoderma literally means white skin (Leuco=white, derma=Skin), and hence can be used for any condition, which leads to white skin. It has however been used in the past, more frequently for vitiligo. The Term has now become obsolete in standard medical usage, but it is still used by herbalists, and laymen for referring to vitiligo. We shall here give a brief introduction to vitiligo followed by some common conditions that can lead to white skin, or white patches in the skin.

Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a common skin disorder in which there are found small to large white patches in the skin. It results from damage to melanocytes, the color producing cells of the skin. Many causative factors have been incriminated but the most widely accepted cause of vitiligo is autoimmunity.

Nevus depigmentosus

This is a de-pigmented mole. These white spots in the skin are usually localized on skin which may be seen in any part of the body, these are very stable lesions. They may however grow in size with growth of the body. The distribution of these nevi is also quite stable. They usually result from abnormal function of melanocytes which produce no or very little melanin
Nevus depigmentosus is usually easy to differentiate from vitiligo.

Pityriasis Alba

These are white spots are usually found in the skin of children as dry and scaly lesions. They are generally seen on the face and are commonly confused with vitiligo. They are however seen elsewhere also at times.
They are generally seasonal and are common in dry and cold months of the year and boys are more common victims than girls. This condition is generally self curing and no treatment is usually required.
White scars and hypopigmentation
Any scar, no matter what is the cause, may appear as a white spot or patch in the skin.and resemble vitiligo at times. If an injury destroys the melanocytes altogether, the possibility of a white scar is high, but partial or no damage to melanocytes will usually result in a colored scar.
Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis
These are flat circular spots of lighter color in the skin which have been associated with excessive sun exposure. Face, arms, shoulders and shins are the common sites. It is important to understand that these lesions are harmless and there is no danger of malignancy