Dermatoscope as a tool to determine the stability of vitiligo

Abstract

Vitiligo is characterised by depigmentation of the skin that occurs without any prior inflammation. In vitiligo, dermatoscopy acts as an auxiliary technique for confirming the diagnosis and also assists in the assessment of disease activity. Present study was done to characterise the deratmoscopic characteristics of vitiligo and to assess the diagnostic utility of dermatoscopy in vitiligo patients. It was cross-sectional observational study conducted over a period of eighteen months from July 2021 to December 2022 in Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy of tertiary care teaching hospital in Mumbai, India. 50 adults of either sex or age more than 18 years of age attending dermatology outpatient department with a clinical diagnosis of vitiligo constituted the study population. Based on dermatoscopy, 36% of the lesions were unstable and rest 64% were stable. Perilesional and perifollicular hyperpigmentation was significantly associated with stability, while trichome border, satellite lesions and microkoebner phenomenon were found to be significantly associated with unstability of vitiligo. Dermatoscopy is an excellent method for diagnosing vitiligo and assessing disease activity. Since the stability of vitiligo necessitates surgical intervention, dermatoscopic examination may be of great assistance in determining disease activity.