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Extra-Cutaneous Melanocytes

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Vitiligo

Abstract

Besides their being in the skin, melanin and melanocytes are detected in the eye, stria vascularis of the cochlea in the ear, leptomeninges, substantia nigra, and locus coeruleus of the brain, heart, and lungs. In vitiligo, although melanocyte loss has been recognized as being mainly restricted to the skin, extra-cutaneous melanocyte involvement and subsequent extra-cutaneous site alterations have been detected. The knowledge of extra-cutaneous involvement may point toward considering vitiligo as a systemic disorder rather than just a cosmetic problem. Still, no clear guidelines on who deserve screening of their extra-cutaneous melanocyte sites in cases of vitiligo exist, an aim yearning to be fulfilled.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Al Minya University, Al Minya, Egypt

    Tag S. Anbar

  2. Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Rehab A. Hegazy & Suzan Shalaby

Authors
  1. Tag S. Anbar
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  2. Rehab A. Hegazy
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  3. Suzan Shalaby
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cutaneous Physiopathology & CIRM, San Gallicano Dermatological Institute, Rome, Italy

    Mauro Picardo

  2. Hôpital Saint André, Service de Dermatologie Adulte et Pédiatrique, INSERM U 1035, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

    Alain Taïeb

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Anbar, T.S., Hegazy, R.A., Shalaby, S. (2019). Extra-Cutaneous Melanocytes. In: Picardo, M., Taïeb, A. (eds) Vitiligo. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62960-5_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62960-5_10

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