What causes piebaldism disease?

What causes piebaldism disease?

Piebaldism is a condition commonly caused by a mutation in certain genes that causes a person to lack melanocytes or the cells responsible for pigmentation. The condition leads to the presence of white patches of skin or hair at birth, making people more at risk of sunburn and skin cancer.

What are the symptoms of piebaldism?

The eyelashes, the eyebrows, and the skin under the forelock may also be unpigmented. People with piebaldism usually have other unpigmented patches of skin, typically appearing symmetrically on both sides of the body. There may be spots or patches of pigmented skin within or around the borders of the unpigmented areas.

Is piebaldism the same as vitiligo?

Piebaldism is unrelated to conditions such as vitiligo or poliosis. Although piebaldism may visually appear to be partial albinism, it is a fundamentally different condition. The vision problems associated with albinism are not usually present as eye pigmentation is normal.

What is the difference between poliosis and piebaldism?

Piebaldism is an autosomal dominant disorder of melanocyte migration and development characterized by isolated congenital leukoderma (white skin) and poliosis (white hair) in a distinct ventral midline pattern.

Is piebaldism present at birth?

Piebaldism is present at birth and the pigment changes usually remain unchanged throughout life. Pigmented dots and macules may develop at the margins or within the patches of leukoderma. The leukoderma may be progressive in rare cases.

Can albinism only affect hair?

Signs and symptoms of albinism involve skin, hair, and eye color and vision.

Can humans have piebaldism?

The human piebald trait is inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder. The white areas are typically located on the front, middle portion of the forehead (called a white forelock), eyebrows, chin, abdomen, feet and hands. Piebaldism can sometimes be associated with deafness.

Is piebaldism dominant or recessive?

Piebaldism is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the congenital absence of melanocytes in affected areas of the skin and hair due to mutations of the c-kit gene, which affects the differentiation and migration of melanoblasts from the neural crest during the embryonic life.

How is piebaldism treated?

Medical Care. Depigmented skin in piebaldism is generally considered unresponsive to medical or light treatment. In 12 adults, dermabrasion and thin split-skin grafts were applied initially, with residual leukodermic patches subsequently treated using a minigrafting method.

What is a white forelock?

Definition. A triangular depigmented region of white hairs located in the anterior midline of the scalp. [ from HPO]