Abstract
Background: Pityriasis alba, is a common benign skin disease occurring predominantly among children, often on their face. Clinically, the spots of pityriasis alba are off-white in color, round with poorly defined margins that bear scanty fine scales on it. No specific cause of pityriasis alba has been identified . In this disease, the number of melanocytes declines and melanosomes reduce within melanocytes. Vitamin D exerts its effect via the vitamin D receptor on melanocytes, if intracellular Ca2+ level decreases, this leads to high levels of reduced thioredoxin this, in turn, inhibit tyrosinase activity with the inhibition of melanin synthesis. In addition, the apoptotic activity of melanocytes reduces by the active form of vitamin D. Aim: The study aimed to assess the status of vitamin D for patients with pityriasis alba. Materials and Methods: 44 patient diagnosed with pityriasis alba were enrolled and the second group of 44 controls was involved in our study. Serum levels of circulating 25 (OH) D were measured. Results: None of the cases had sufficient serum level; the level ranged between 8.1-27.3 ng/ml. The patients had lower circulating vitamin D levels than controls. Conclusion: Our findings in the present study are significant, but further studies with large samples are needed to correlate the extent and severity of pityriasis alba with vitamin D deficiency.
Highlights
Pityriasis alba is a common benign skin disease occurring predominantly among children with less frequency in adolescents
While the hypo-pigmentation seen in pityriasis alba is usually categorized as postinflammatory, the actual pathogenesis is unclear
Regarding the size of the patches of pityriasis alba, 67% of the patches were between 1-2 cm in diameter and 30% were between 2-3 cm in diameter, while only 3% were larger than 3 cm in diameter
Summary
Pityriasis alba is a common benign skin disease occurring predominantly among children with less frequency in adolescents. By appearance, it is characterized as fine scales pointing to pityriasis and pale color to alba [1]. The individual lesions at first appear as round or oval (red or pink and sometimes skin colored) with fine scales and Pityriasis alba is most obvious in individuals with dark pigmented skin and/or following sun exposure [4]. Pityriasis alba, is a common benign skin disease occurring predominantly among children, often on their face. No specific cause of pityriasis alba has been identified In this disease, the number of melanocytes declines and melanosomes reduce within melanocytes. The apoptotic activity of melanocytes reduces by the active form of vitamin D
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