Autoimmune skin changes with white patches due to loss of pigment best describe:

• A. Vitiligo
• B. Albinism
• C. Piebaldism
• D. Tinea versicolor

Answer: (A)

Depigmented patches caused by autoimmune destruction of pigment-producing melanocytes are most consistent with vitiligo. In vitiligo, the patches are completely white (depigmented) with well-defined, sharp borders and can appear on exposed areas like the face and hands; this pattern reflects loss of melanocytes rather than a general reduction in pigment production.

In contrast, albinism is a congenital, generalized reduction of pigment affecting the entire skin, hair, and eyes due to a biochemical defect, not autoimmune destruction. Piebaldism is also congenital, featuring stable white patches from birth caused by absence of melanocytes in affected areas, often with a characteristic white forelock. Tinea versicolor is a superficial fungal infection that causes hypo- or hyperpigmented patches with some scaling, usually on the trunk, and does not involve autoimmune loss of melanocytes.