Definitions
Vitiligo -is a condition that causes depigmentation of patches of skin. It occurs when melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but research suggests that it may arise from autoimmune, genetic,oxidative stress, neural, or viral causes.
Albinism (from Latin albus, “white”; see extended etymology, also called achromia, achromasia, or achromatosis) is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes due to absence or defect of an enzyme involved in the production of melanin. Albinism results from inheritance of recessive gene alleles and is known to affect all vertebrates, including humans. While an organism with complete absence of melanin is called an albino and an organism with only a diminished amount of melanin is described as albinoid. Albinism is associated with a number of vision defects, such as photophobia, nystagmus and astigmatism. Lack of skin pigmentation makes the organism more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancers
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Source of information: http://www.wikipedia.org
The difference
Albinism may at times be mistaken for wide spread vitiligo but they are two absolutely different and unrelated disease entities.
A few of the major differences are, that Albinism is an inheritable disorder, and is present at the time of birth, while Vitiligo is an acquired auto immune disorder of the pigment which starts somewhere after birth. Albinism is a stable disorder which does not spread or improve, while Vitiligo can improve and worsen with treatment as well as on its own.
Albinism is of two types; one in which the whole body including the eyes, the retina, the skin and the hair, all melanin containing areas of the body are involved, and the other which affects only the eyes. Vitiligo on the other hand starts as a patchy disorder which can take many different shapes.
As far as the basic abnormality is concerned, albinism results from a biochemical defect in the making of melanin, while Vitiligo results from autoimmune destruction of the pigment producing cells, the melanocytes.
The most important difference however is that Vitiligo can be improved with treatment while Albinism can not!
source of info: http://www.antivitiligo.com/vitiligo/albinism-and-vitiligo.html
Lets live Beyond Vitiligo
