Vitiligo and leukoderma in children.

Leukoderma and hypopigmentation can be a manifestation of 2 main mechanisms by which melanin might disappear from the skin. One is a dysfunction of the melanocytes; the other is loss of the melanocytes themselves. Hypopigmentation disorders can be localized or generalized. They can be either congenital/hereditary or acquired. The pattern of involvement can be circumscribed, diffuse, linear, or reticulated. Hypopigmented skin may be the only feature, the main feature, or part of a syndrome with other clinical manifestations. Recent scientific advances have provided valuable insights into the molecular basis of these diseases and a better understanding of their pathogenesis.