Key Updates In The Management Of Patients With Vitiligo

An expert discusses how vitiligo involves a complex autoimmune mechanism where the body’s immune system destroys melanocytes, presenting as either segmental vitiligo (rapid, localized to one body area) or nonsegmental vitiligo (slower, scattered patches), with treatment success depending on the presence of pigmented hairs in affected areas.

An expert discusses how early diagnosis of vitiligo is primarily important for limiting the area requiring repigmentation, while explaining that genetic predisposition, autoimmune thyroid disease and skin trauma are key risk factors for developing the condition.

An expert discusses how vitiligo significantly affects patients’ psychosocial health due to its visible nature, unpredictable course, slow treatment response, and particularly severe impact on younger patients and those with darker skin tones who may experience depression and social isolation.

An expert discusses how vitiligo patients commonly develop thyroid disease as a comorbidity and face increased skin cancer risk while highlighting the urgent need for new treatments beyond the single FDA-approved ruxalitinib cream to prevent disease spread and reduce reliance on problematic steroids.

An expert discusses how patients with vitiligo are often initially misdiagnosed by primary care providers as having fungal infections before being referred to dermatologists, with care coordination typically involving endocrinologists for thyroid management and psychologists for mental health support.

An expert discusses how vitiligo treatment historically relied on off-label therapies such as topical corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, and phototherapy, but now includes the first FDA-approved agent, topical ruxolitinib 1.5% cream, used alone or in combination with other treatments.

An expert discusses how long-term corticosteroid use carries risks of skin atrophy, systemic effects such as adrenal suppression, and area-specific concerns such as increased intraocular pressure near the eyes. Additionally, topical calcineurin inhibitors have black box warnings for potential infections and malignancies despite their established safety profile.

An expert discusses how phototherapy requires 2 to 3 sessions per week in specialized light booths or home units, is particularly useful for vitiligo covering more than 10% body surface area, and can be targeted to specific areas using 308-nm lasers for smaller lesions.