Needless to say, vitiligo diagnosis must be done correctly. Hence, self-diagnosis is definitely NOT recommended.
Wong definition= wong diagnosis
= wrong conclusion = wrong treatment
= wrong conclusion = wrong treatment
It's important to note that not all white skin patches are vitiligo. There are other conditions and diseases which are associated with white skin, such as alphos, a form of leprosy once called vitiligo.
Albinism, Leucism, Melanism, Tinea Versicolor and Pityriasis alba are among other conditions and diseases which are associated with white skin that must be ruled out.
The diagnosis of vitiligo is made based on a physical examination, medical history, and laboratory tests.
A doctor will likely suspect vitiligo if you report (or the physical examination reveals) white patches of skin on the body—particularly on sun-exposed areas, including the hands, feet, arms, face, and lips. If vitiligo is suspected, the doctor will ask about your medical history. Important factors in the diagnosis include a family history of vitiligo; a rash, sunburn, or other skin trauma at the site of vitiligo 2 to 3 months before depigmentation started; stress or physical illness; and premature (before age 35) graying of the hair.
In addition, the doctor will ask whether you or anyone in your family has had any autoimmune diseases, and whether you are very sensitive to the sun.
To help confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may take a small sample (biopsy) of the affected skin to examine under a microscope. In vitiligo, the skin sample will usually show a complete absence of pigment-producing melanocytes. On the other hand, the presence of inflamed cells in the sample may suggest that another condition is responsible for the loss of pigmentation.
Because vitiligo may be associated with pernicious anemia (a condition in which an insufficient amount of vitamin B12 is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract) or hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland), the doctor may also take a blood sample to check the blood-cell count and thyroid function.
For some patients, the doctor may recommend an eye examination to check for uveitis (inflammation of part of the eye), which sometimes occurs with vitiligo. A blood test to look for the presence of antinuclear antibodies (a type of autoantibody) may also be done. This test helps determine if the patient has another autoimmune disease.Clearly it seems mandatory to make the correct diagnosis. A definitive diagnosis can be carried out by using Untraviolet Wood’s Light. Vitiligo shows a very characteristic fluorescence under this condition which is absent in other skin diseases [Schallreuter et al, Science (1994)]
In fair-skinned patients, Wood’s light examination in a darkened room detects vitiliginous patches; depigmented skin reflects the light, and pigmented skin absorbs it.
Biopsy will show normal skin except for the absence of melanocytes.
A sincere advice ...
If you suspect that you have displayed symptoms of vitiligo, do not linger any further. Go and consult a dermatologist immediately to carry out a definitive vitiligo diagnosis.
Learn from the mistakes of others who had gone before you. Start treatment early, if you are really diagnosed with vitiligo.
Vitiligo need NOT be a life-sentence
but ONLY if you do the right things before it's too late
but ONLY if you do the right things before it's too late
Read my Posting Label: Vitiligo Treatments if you want to know how manage your vitiligo condition effectively and conquer those damned white spots, by following a PROVEN simple plan ...
y name is Michael DeAngelo, an 
