Albinism is a familial disease characterized by the complete or partialabsence of melanin pigment. Vitiligo is also a skin disease in which melanocytes(melanin forming cells) are destroyed and as a result white patches are appear in different parts of body of affected person. the difference in albinism and vitiligo are occasionally confused with each other but they are relatively different and unrelated disease entities. Albinism is a hereditary disease while vitiligo is an auto-immune disorder. Albinism is a stable and incurable disease while vitiligo is curable. Albinism arises as a result of biochemical imperfection in the production of melanin pigment whereas vitiligo crops up as a result of auto-immune demolition of
melanocytes. Albinism is of two types, one in which melanin containing areas of
body (i.e. skin, hair and eyes ) of an individual are affected and second is ocular albinism in which only eyes are affected. Such a person may not be able to see in bright light.
People With Vitiligo