Inflammatory changes in vitiligo - Stage I and II depigmentation

Frequent failure of early studies to demonstrate inflammatory changes in vitiligo led many investigators to consider the disease as noninflammatory. However, others found an inflammatory element in vitiliginous lesions. In this study we tried to verify that assumption. Twenty-five patients (10 males and 15 females) with common vitiligo and 11 normal healthy individuals were included. Histopathologic studies were carried out using epon-embedded sections stained with modified toluidine blue stain. Comparisons of the results of histopathologic examination of the stained specimens of vitiliginous lesions (both stage I and II), marginal areas, and uninvolved normal skin of vitiligo patients with normal healthy control were performed. Focal spongiosis was observed in 48% of the specimens of vitiligo patients and largely limited to the marginal areas and stage I vitiligo lesions. Epidermal mononuclear cell infiltration was seen in 80% of both the marginal areas and stage I vitiligo specimens. The number of these cells was significantly higher than that in stage II lesions and uninvolved skin. Many of the epidermotropic lymphocytes were grouped together, forming clusters resembling Pautrier microabscesses. The extent of epidermal mononuclear cell invasion did not always parallel the density of the subjacent dermal infiltrate. Vitiligo is an inflammatory disease, and the epidermal lymphocytic infiltration is most likely the primary immunologic event.