VITILIGO; SEBORRHOEIC WARTS – GENERAL INFORMATION

Vitiligo is a condition where the skin loses its pigment and the patchy white areas may stand out markedly, especially when the person has an olive skin or gets a tan in summer.

It affects a little fewer than one in 200 people and does seem to run in families. It causes no serious problems but many sufferers are concerned by the appearance and because the skin which has lost its pigment may be easily burned.

Sometimes there is spontaneous repigmentation and the process may be assisted by the taking of drugs called psoralens and exposing the skin to ultra-violet light.

Treatment with UV light and psoralens is time-

consuming but those who are distressed by their condition may be willing to pay the price.

Those big, black, raised warts which appear in middle-age are unsightly and may frighten the owner into thinking they are malignant melanomas, a particularly dangerous form of skin cancer.

These are usually seborrhoeic warts. They are raised, with a bumpy surface and feel greasy to touch. They vary in color from grey through brown to black.

They may occur anywhere on the body but the front and particularly the back of the trunk are the favored sites.

Seborrhoeic warts rarely appear before the forties, may be single or dozens may be present. Treatment is only indicated for cosmetic reasons as they do not become cancerous.

They may be treated by the application of intense cold from liquid nitrogen or by heat from an electric cautery.

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Posted on Monday, May 18th, 2009 at 6:10 am and is filed under General health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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