On World Vitiligo Day (June 25th), Dr. Hoang Van Tam, from Hanoi Medical University, shared the latest information about this disease, as well as current advances in diagnosis and treatment.
Speaking with a reporter from the Government Online Newspaper, Dr. Hoang Van Tam said that vitiligo is a common dermatological disease in which skin pigment cells are destroyed, causing a change in skin color.
Dr. Hoang Van Tam examines a patient.
The disease significantly affects the quality of life.
Vitiligo has long been classified as a benign condition; however, its psychological impact on patients is significant. Many patients experience prolonged anxiety and low self-esteem due to the patchy, depigmented skin, which greatly affects their quality of life.
Doctor, what causes vitiligo?
Dr. Hoang Van Tam : To date, medicine has not yet determined the exact cause of this disease. However, many factors are believed to be involved, such as: genetics, autoimmune mechanisms (when the body attacks its own melanocytes), and environmental factors such as viruses, chemicals, stress...
In particular, people with autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, thyroid disorders, etc., are at a higher risk of developing the disease compared to others.
What is the current prevalence rate of this disease worldwide and in Vietnam, doctor?
Dr. Hoang Van Tam: Globally, 0.5-2% of the population suffers from vitiligo. Higher incidence rates are commonly seen in countries with darker skin tones, such as India. The disease affects people of all ages.
In Vietnam, there are no official statistics, but based on my clinical experience, the disease usually starts between the ages of 10 and 30, and women tend to be more affected than men.
Vitiligo affects 0.5-2% of the world's population.
Many advances in disease treatment
Currently, what are the challenges in treating vitiligo, and what advancements have been made, doctor?
Dr. Hoang Van Tam : Previously, vitiligo treatment mainly involved topical medications, which were ineffective and prone to recurrence. Many vitiligo patients were disappointed because treatment was ineffective over a long period.
However, in recent years, the field of dermatology has seen significant advances in the treatment of vitiligo, offering new hope to patients after a long period of treatment with ineffective methods.
Currently, light therapies such as narrow-spectrum UVB, excimer laser, and solid-state UVB laser are widely used, providing more effective pigment restoration.
He is known to be the first person to introduce autologous epidermal cell transplantation technology for the treatment of vitiligo in Vietnam. How does he assess the development of this method to date?
Dr. Hoang Van Tam : Autologous epidermal cell transplantation is one of the most advanced treatment approaches for vitiligo today. When this technology was first introduced to Vietnam in 2020, it was still a completely new technique.
To date, after nearly 5 years of implementation, we have observed significant effectiveness, especially in cases of long-term depigmentation. This method is becoming increasingly refined, safe, and provides sustainable results.
In particular, through our experience treating many patients, we have observed that pigmentation recovers faster and more noticeably in the face and torso. This is a suitable solution for cases that do not respond to traditional methods.
This method typically combines UVB irradiation, fractional CO2 laser, topical and oral medications, and autologous epidermal cell grafting. As a result, many patients achieve over 90% pigment restoration after only 4-6 months of treatment.
The golden time for treating vitiligo.
World Vitiligo Day on June 25th is an opportunity to raise public awareness about this disease. What advice do doctors have for the public regarding prevention, early detection, and early treatment to achieve maximum effectiveness?
Dr. Hoang Van Tam: World Vitiligo Day on June 25th is not only an opportunity to spread a positive message but also to raise community awareness that vitiligo is not contagious or "incurable." The important thing is that patients need to be advised by specialists, avoiding self-treatment or waiting, which could lead to missing the "golden period" for intervention.
The golden period for treating vitiligo is when the disease has not spread, the lesions are still new, and the patient is young and in good health. At this stage, treatment can be more effective, helping to restore skin pigmentation better and prevent the disease from spreading.
Therefore, the earlier vitiligo is detected and treated, when the white patches are new and have not spread, and the more modern technology is applied in treatment, the higher the chances of restoring pigmentation. Patients will recover faster and feel more confident in life.
For older patients, the longer the duration of the illness, the less effective the treatment response will be.
Thank you, sir!
Hien Minh (compiled)
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/can-benh-pho-bien-chiem-den-2-dan-so-the-gioi-10225062417554552.htm
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