Follicular leukoderma is an early step in the course of ordinary vitiligo: A new hypothesis

The study hypothesized that ordinary vitiligo might begin as follicular leukoderma, a condition where small white macules appear in hair follicles, before developing into larger vitiliginous patches. This was supported by analyzing 90 patients aged 4-40 years, where clinical and Wood’s lamp examinations confirmed the presence of follicular white macules early in the disease. Histopathological examinations revealed absent melanocytes in the hair follicle infundibulum and adjacent basal epidermis, along with lymphocytic infiltrates. The findings suggested that vitiligo starts in the hair follicles, challenging the traditional understanding of the disease's progression.