Pityriasis Alba versus Vitiligo Clinical and Histopathological Study

Khalifa E Sharquie,Liqaa M Abdulkadhim,Adil A Noaimi

doi:10.4236/jcdsa.2018.83016

Khalifa E Sharquie, Liqaa M Abdulkadhim + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4236/jcdsa.2018.83016

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Abstract

Background: Most recently there was a well established study showed that pityriasis alba of ten progresses into vitiligo (Sharquie et al.). These findings were considered a new thought that might support a new hypothesis regarding the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Objective: In order to do further work on hypothesis which is in favor that pityriasis alba might progress into vitiligo, so the present research including clinical and histopathological study to confirm that pityriasis alba might progress to vitiligo. Patients and method: This is a descriptive clinical and histopathological comparative study carried out in Department of Dermatology, Baghdad Teaching Hospital during the period from January 2015 to August 2016. Thirty eight patients with pityriasis alba (group A) and twenty eight patients with vitiligo stage I (group B) and twelve patients with both pityriasis alba and vitiligo (group C) were included in this study. All patients were fully interviewed and full history was taken from all the patients. Also careful asking about personal and family history of vitiligo was taken. Blunt trauma was done to induce Koebner’s phenomenon. Punch biopsies were taken from skin lesion of all patients and ten biopsies from 10 persons were taken from normal skin. Each biopsy specimen was processed and stained with Hematoxylin-eosin (H & E) and Fontana-Masson (FM) for histological evaluations. Results: Clinical study-Group A: Pityriasis alba patients: The mean of age of patients in pityriasis alba ± SD was 8.68 ± 5.94 years including 33 (86.84%) males and 5 (13.16%) females. Koebner’s phenomenon was positive in 2 (5.26%) patients and family history of vitiligo was positive in 17 (44.74%) patients. Group B: stage I vitiligo patients: The mean of age ± SD was 15.46 ± 12.50 years with 15 (57.14%) male patients and 12 (42.86%) female patients. A Koebner’s phenomenon was positive in 11 (39.28%) patients and family history of vitiligo was found in 11 (39.29%) patients. Group C: pityriasis alba and vitiligo patients: The mean of age ± SD was 8.33 ± 2.78 years including 9 (75%) male patients and 3 (25%) female patients. Koebner’s phenomenon was positive in 6 (50%) patients and family history of vitiligo was positive in 7 (58.33%) patients. Histopathological study: Group A: pityriasisalba: </

Highlights

Pityriasis alba (PA) is a common benign condition mainly affecting the head and neck regions of preadolescent children, more noticeable in darker skin types and there is no gender or skin type predilection [1] occurs predominantly in children between the ages of 3 and 16 years [2]
All patients were fully interviewed and full history was taken from all the patients regarding the time of onset and the progression of the disease, and regarding pityriasis alba asking about history of sun exposure and seasonal variation and history of excessive bathing and careful asking about family history of vitiligo
Personal history of atopy was positive in 14 (36.84%) patients and family history of atopy was positive in 18 (50%) patients while family history of vitiligo was positive in 17 (44.74%) patients

Summary

Introduction

Pityriasis alba (PA) is a common benign condition mainly affecting the head and neck regions of preadolescent children, more noticeable in darker skin types and there is no gender or skin type predilection [1] occurs predominantly in children between the ages of 3 and 16 years [2]. Excessive, unprotected sun exposure as well as hygienic habits (frequent bathing and hot baths) are strongly related to the development of pityriasis alba [1]. All these conditions present as whitish scaly patches with ill-defined border (Sharquie personal communication 2013). Results: Clinical study-Group A: Pityriasis alba patients: The mean of age of patients in pityriasis alba ± SD was 8.68 ± 5.94 years including 33 (86.84%) males and 5 (13.16%) females. Koebner’s phenomenon was positive in 2 (5.26%) patients and family history of vitiligo was positive in 17 (44.74%) patients. A Koebner’s phenomenon was positive in 11 (39.28%) patients and family history of vitiligo was found in 11 (39.29%) patients. Group C: pityriasis alba and vitiligo patients: The mean of age ± SD

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