Karnataka - Bangalore   

Vitiligo curable, say doctors

Bangalore: Noorjahan, in her late fifties, has not come out of her house for the last six years. After noticing she had developed white patches on her skin, she is afraid her condition would affect the marriage prospects of her daughter.

Similarly, Vishnuvardhan has not let his daughter come out of the house for three years because she developed white patches on her skin. He did not even take her to the doctor and tried getting medicine from the doctor by lying that he wanted it for his neighbour’s daughter.

These are just two examples of the severe suffering, social stigma and emotional stress faced by persons suffering from vitiligo, commonly known as leucoderma. City-based dermatologists, who have been seeing leucoderma patients, are concerned that even at a time when many new effective treatments are available, the patients carry the stigma. “I have seen several cases who are finding it difficult to get married. They undergo untold misery as it is difficult for them even to get proper jobs. Depressed and frustrated, they tend to seek isolation,” vice-president of Bangalore Dermatological Society Venkatram Mysore said.

Society president D.S. Krupashankar pointed out that there are misconceptions about the disease. “Leucoderma is a disease caused by destruction of cells called melanocyte in skin, which produce the pigment melanin responsible for our skin colour. Loss of this pigment leads to white patches in different parts of the body. There are no other symptoms associated with it and it can occur at any age,” he said.

To create awareness and dispel myths about the disease, the Bangalore Dermatological Society will organise a public meeting on the occasion of Leucoderma Day on July 25. The meeting, to be held in Kuvempu Kalakshetra, will include counselling sessions. Details can be had on 23180818/ 41148848/ 22261057. (Names of the patients have been changed.)

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