As far as I can tell from my research, Vitiligo does not get significant press coverage, but there is a collection of articles and entries on the New York Times website that focus on the disease. But I did find one:
While it is 10 years old, it is the most recent article I could dig up, and it still contains some very helpful information that I didn't know until now.
The Ups and Downs of the Disease
This article written by Jane E. Brody details Vitiligo and the way it affects the social lives of both a woman, Loretta, and a teenager, April, who have the disease. Both of these women open up about the harassment they have endured because of their affliction and in April's case, how it has helped her grow and learn about herself and other people. While April experiences the harshness of schoolyard teasing, she also found a way to use her disposition as a way to teach others by making "cards to hand to the curious, in which she states that she is not contagious". [1]
Brody continues on to cover the basics of the disease and why it faces so much adversity from medical professionals who refuse to acknowledge it as a serious disease. She states that many She lets readers in on a list of facts about Vitiligo that many do not know, some of which are:
"Up to 30% of women with Vitiligo develop Thyroid disease".
"Vitiligo patients also have an increased risk of developing diabetes, pernicious anemia, as well as Addison's disease, an adrenal disorder".
"People with Vitiligo must protect their skin from exposure to the sun. Affected areas of skin can become seriously sunburned while the surrounding skin tans'. She also advises that those affected "be vigilant about wearing sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (30 or higher) on exposed skin year-round".
"Many insurers consider Vitiligo a cosmetic issue and do not cover treatment costs".
All of the above were quoted from source [1].
Potential Cures
On the second page of the article, Brody goes more in-depth about various treatments that seem to have a higher success rate than others, but mainly focuses on a form of light therapy called PUVA. In this treatment, patients take a drug called psoralen that causes their skin to become more sensitive to light. Once this has happened, doctors expose affected spots to a special lamp that only shows ultraviolet A. While this treatment apparently has great results on the face and upper extremities, it does not work well on feet and hands. It also can be bad for you if done in excess, so extensive treatment can cause freckling as well as increase the risk for skin cancer. Researchers from Henry Ford hospital turned up some promising results in similar experimental light therapies that have successfully repigmented over 75% of two darker skinned african-american men. This, along with a synthetic enzyme called pseudocatalase that works similar to the PUVA treatments, means that scientists are slowly narowing their sights onto a true cure for Vitiligo.
Works Cited
[1] Brody, Jane E. "Personal Health; New Approach to a Discoloring Skin Disorder" July 3, 2001 Date of access: 3/26/2011
This is a trait, and curing a disease that doesn't kill is unheard of. See I think that it is a unique trait that should be kept.
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