Chinese Journal of Dermatology ›› 2019, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (6): 425-428.doi: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0412-4030.2019.06.010

• Research Reports • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Application of dermoscopy in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of vitiligo

Chen Xuguang, Ma Jinyuan, Zhang Yuwei, Guo Yanyang, Liu Ling, Li Chunying   

  1. Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi′an 710032, China
  • Received:2019-01-02 Revised:2019-02-17 Online:2019-06-15 Published:2019-06-03
  • Contact: Li Chunying E-mail:lichying@fmmu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China (81703128); Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi Province (2019SF-09)

Abstract: 【Abstract】    Objective    To evaluate the application value of polarized light dermoscopy in the diagnosis of vitiligo and differential diagnosis between vitiligo and other common hypopigmented diseases. Methods    Dermoscopic images of lesions of 235 patients with confirmed vitiligo (130 with active vitiligo and 105 with stable vitiligo) were collected from the database in the Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital from January 2018 to July 2018, and retrospectively analyzed. Meanwhile, dermoscopic images of amelanotic nevus (151 cases), pityriasis alba (113 cases) and idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (54 cases) were compared with the dermoscopic images of vitiligo. Chi-square test was used for comparison of rates among groups. Results    The prevalence of perifollicular pigmentation, reticular pigmentation, starburst, Tapioca sago and micro-Koebner phenomenon was significantly higher in the patients with active vitiligo than in those with stable vitiligo (χ2 = 36.5, 151.2, 13.0, 14.9, 8.4 respectively, all P < 0.05). The prevalence of perifollicular pigmentation, perilesional hyperpigmentation, perifollicular telangiectasia, leukotrichia was significantly higher in patients with stable vitiligo than in those with active vitiligo (χ2 = 91.2, 166.0, 54.3, 41.1 respectively, all P < 0.05). The prevalence of residual perifollicular pigmentation was significantly higher in patients with active (89.2%, 116/130) or stable vitiligo (54.3%, 57/105) than in those with amelanotic nevus (20.5%, 31/151, P < 0.05), pityriasis alba (12.4%, 15/113, P < 0.05)or idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (9.3%, 5/54, P < 0.05). Conclusion    Residual perifollicular pigmentation could serve as an important feature for distinguishing vitiligo from achromic nevus, pityriasis alba and idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis, and polarized light dermoscopy shows good value in the differential diagnosis between vitiligo and some hypopigmented diseases.

Key words: Vitiligo, Dermoscopy, Diagnosis, differential, Hypopigmented diseases