What Could be Causing Vitiligo?

What Causes Vitiligo?

In order to hopefully treat and prevent recurrence of vitiligo we need to understand and — if possible — remove the underlying causes and risk factors. We need to ask: "What else is going on inside the body that might allow vitiligo to develop?"

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Accurate diagnosis of the factors behind vitiligo consists of three steps:

Step 1: List the Possible Causative Factors

Identify all disease conditions, lifestyle choices and environmental risk factors that can lead to vitiligo. Here are two possibilities:

Autoimmune Tendency
Megaloblastic Anemia

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

Identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

high serum iron

macrocytic red cells

pernicious anemia, no longer treated

reduced sense of smell

history of folic acid deficiency

... and so on

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of vitiligo:

Cause	Probability	Status
Megaloblastic Anemia	95%	Confirm
Autoimmune Tendency	69%	Possible

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Existing Skin Conditions section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about vitiligo:

Do you have Vitiligo (patches of depigmented/lighter skin)?

Possible responses:

→ Never had it / don't know
→ Probably/minor episode(s) now resolved
→ Major episode(s) now resolved
→ Current minor problem
→ Current major problem

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either history of vitiligo or vitiligo, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Autoimmune Tendency

Megaloblastic Anemia / Pernicious Anemia

There is a particularly high incidence of vitiligo among individuals with pernicious anemia, and vice versa. The reason for this is unknown.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™