الفهرس 
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Abstract
Vitiligo is a primary acquired pigmentary disorder characterized by the presence of well-circumscribed, milky-white macules on the skin and mucous membranes due to loss of functioning melanocytes from the involved areas.(1) Its onset in at least half of cases occurs before the age of 20. There is a familial incidence of 30%, and approximately 0.5-2% of the world population are affected by the disease. All races are affected and both sexes are affected equally.(2-5)
The natural course of the disease is generally unpredictable, but is often progressive. Some degree of spontaneous repigmentation occurs in 10– 20% of patients often occurring in a perifollicular pattern, which is rarely cosmetically acceptable.(6) The exact etiology of vitiligo remains obscure, but several factors have been proposed to explain vitiligo pathogenesis including genetic predisposition,(59,60) autoimmunity,(11,55,61) neurochemical insults,(62,63) oxidative stress,(64) and melanocytorrhagy.(10)