Dermatology

Case Study
By: A.P.

About the Patient

Name: Tyrone Jones
Age: 17
Ethnicity: African American
Signs & Symptoms:

- Several flat white spots

covering the hands, arms, and left
side of face
- White spots seem to spread to
other areas of the body

Diagnosis
After doing some research and looking up the symptoms of your case,
Ive come to the conclusion that you
have a disease called Vitiligo.

In people with this condition the immune cells, which are the cells that fight
infection, disease, and germs, attack the melanocytes and kill them.
Melanocytes are the cells that make up the color of the skin. The reason why
the immune cells attack the melanocytes are unknown.

D i a g n o s i s (cont.)
The exact cause is unknown, but it is sometimes set off by
stress. But, it can be hereditary. It sometimes runs in
families, meaning that a factor in genetics may be involved.
Theres a chance that if one of your family members were
diagnosed with __Vitiligo__, you may also get it.
This disease usually occurs in 1-2% of the population,
or 1 out of every 100 people. It can affect all ages, genders,
and races but its far more disabling in people
with darker colored skin.

Treatments

Treatments (cont.)
This is a very difficult disease to treat, but you have some
options:

Option 1: Purchase some cosmetics that can cover up the white patches.
Option 2: __Repigmentation by PUVA ultraviolet light. You would be
required to take a pill called psoralen an hour prior to your visit. Then, you
will stand in a box where your skin will be exposed to _type A ultraviolet
light_. Must be down 4 times a week 30 minutes each session for a year.
Option 3: Youll be prescribed a cream called ___monobenzone__and
youll have to apply it twice a day for up to 2-3 months. It is a topical drug
for the purpose of _ depigmentation_.