Nevus depigmentosus was first time introduced by Lesser in 1884. As the
rsz_nevus_depigmentosus
name indicated “Nevus is a Latin word which means “chronic lesions of skin” and “depigmentosus” means “loss of pigment”. So, it is a chronic skin disease which causes depigmentation. It is also known as Nevus achromicus. It is quite different from vitiligo. It attacks on skin in the form of white patches or lesions which are localized, benign, hypopigmented (may cause loss of skin color) and stable. Size of these patches grows with the growth of body.
Mainly, ages of individuals don’t concern with this disease but it has been observed that about 19 percent of Nevus depigmentosus affects the babies at their birth. This disease may affect any area of human body, trunk, legs and hands. But the chest, buttocks and the back are most common sites of affliction. Although patients with Nevus Depigmentosus lead a happy life but they may suffer from neurological abnormalities like seizures, mental retardation etc.
Nevus Depigmentosus is caused due to the deficiency of Melanin Pigment, which is responsible for the color of skin and as a result characteristic white spots form on the body. It may also be caused when melanocytes fail to perform their proper function. Melanocytes, cells which produce melanin pigment are found in the bottom layer of epidermis of skin. According to a latest research, it is concluded that Nevus depigmentosus results from the functional defects of melanocytes as well as due to the morphological abnormalities of melanosomes.
There is also the danger of severe sunburn for the patients of Nevus Depigmentosus on the affected areas on prolonged exposure to skin. Dermatologists are trying their best to find out the proper cause of this skin disease but histopathologic characters of Nevus depigmentosus are not yet fully discovered. It has been also experienced that Nevus Depigmentosus has not to be difficult to differentiate from vitiligo in which complete loss of pigment with the absence of melanocytes occurs.
People With Vitiligo