A Family Study of Vitiligo Patterns

Abstract
The anatomical distribution of vitiligo has been studied in families with evidence of organ-specific autoimmune disease. No examples of similar pattern inheritance were found in first degree relatives in contrast to published reports of similar vitiligo patterns in identical twins. The genetic predisposition to develop vitiligo apparently allows for a diversity of anatomical pattern. A similar mechanism may be responsible for the occurrence of different organ-specific autoimmune diseases in members of the same family.