Melanocytes are the cells that make pigment, resulting in skin color. Vitiligo (vit-ill-EYE-go) is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes in the skin, the mucous membranes inside of the mouth, nose, genital and rectal areas, and the retina are destroyed.
As a result, white patches of skin appear on different parts of the body. The hair that grows in areas affected by vitiligo usually turns white.
A small number of people world-wide, about 1 to 2% (40 to 50 million people) have vitiligo. In the United States, 2 to 5 million people have the disorder. 95% of people who have vitiligo develop it before their 40th birthday.
The disorder affects all races and both sexes equally.
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