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Is Vitiligo Hereditary?

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Posted on Wed, 2 Sep 2015
Question: I wanted to know whether vitiligo is hereditary? I want to marry a girl whose father is having vitiligo? was circumspect whether it gets transmitted to her.

Even if it gets transmitted what are the chances to it being cured or contained succesfully with treatment.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Charu Bansal (21 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
vitiligo has genetic predisposition

Detailed Answer:
Hello. Welcome to Healthcaremagic.com.
I have read your query.
I understand your concern.
Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease that definitely has genetic predisposition. If single parent is having vitiligo then the chances of vitiligo in offspring is around 3-5 percent. Sometimes the genes of vitiligo are transmitted but the person may not manifest it clinically. So not all the persons carrying genes represent vitiligo in their life.
If she has not yet developed the vitiligo then the chances of developing disease is unlikely later in life also. As most of the times, the vitiligo patches are developed earlier in life in case familg history is positive.
There is definitive treatment available for vitiligo. But with medications vitiligo can
be controlled , it cannot be eradicated completely. It has quite unpredictable course. A person may not develop the disease once complete re pigmentation occurs fter treatment. Or may develop the patches again even after treatment. So one cannot really comment upon the course of disease.
I hope it helps.
Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Neel Kudchadkar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Charu Bansal (21 hours later)
Thanks for all the answers. I have few doubts

1) Can it occur after marriage because of biological changes?
2) Can the tests reveal the occurance of vitiligo before it occurs to the patient?
3) Even if it occurs what are chances of it being contained successfully?
4) What are the chances of it spreading to the whole body? Because her fathers face has full vitiligo.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Charu Bansal (21 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
vitiligo is unpredictable disease

Detailed Answer:
Hello. Welcome back.
Its my pleasure to help you here.
Vitiligo has very unpredictable course as I told you. It may develop at any point of time in life. So one really cannot comment upon with surity whether it would develop in future or not.
There is no such test that can be done to look for development of vitiligo in future.
Various treatment modalities are available with good outcomes. In most of the cases, good repigmentation occurs with no recurrence. However it may recurr also.
Sadly one really cannot comment on the chances of spread of vitiligo to face or other body parts.
Autoimmune diseases have highly unpredictable course.
I hope I am able to solve your query.
Take care.
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Charu Bansal

Dermatologist

Practicing since :2010

Answered : 773 Questions

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Is Vitiligo Hereditary?

Brief Answer: vitiligo has genetic predisposition Detailed Answer: Hello. Welcome to Healthcaremagic.com. I have read your query. I understand your concern. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease that definitely has genetic predisposition. If single parent is having vitiligo then the chances of vitiligo in offspring is around 3-5 percent. Sometimes the genes of vitiligo are transmitted but the person may not manifest it clinically. So not all the persons carrying genes represent vitiligo in their life. If she has not yet developed the vitiligo then the chances of developing disease is unlikely later in life also. As most of the times, the vitiligo patches are developed earlier in life in case familg history is positive. There is definitive treatment available for vitiligo. But with medications vitiligo can be controlled , it cannot be eradicated completely. It has quite unpredictable course. A person may not develop the disease once complete re pigmentation occurs fter treatment. Or may develop the patches again even after treatment. So one cannot really comment upon the course of disease. I hope it helps. Take care.