Confetti-like depigmentation: A potential sign of rapidly progressing vitiligo

Abstract

Background: Confetti-like depigmentation was noted in patients reporting recent worsening of vitiligo.

Objective: We sought to determine if confetti-like depigmentation is a marker of rapidly progressing vitiligo.

Methods: Review of patient records and images of patients from a vitiligo registry resulted in 7 patients with 12 images that fit inclusion criteria and were evaluated for percent depigmentation by 3 independent reviewers. The Vitiligo Disease Activity Score and the Koebner Phenomenon in Vitiligo Score in an additional cohort of patients with confetti-like lesions were compared with patients who had vitiligo without confetti-like lesions.

Results: The mean percentage of depigmentation at baseline was 19.2%, which increased to 43.9% in images obtained at a mean of 16 weeks of follow-up. Vitiligo Disease Activity Score and Koebner Phenomenon in Vitiligo Score were significantly higher in the patients with confetti-like lesions compared with those without confetti-like lesions. A skin biopsy specimen of a confetti-like lesion in 1 patient revealed an inflammatory infiltrate in the papillary dermis with CD8(+) T cells localized to the dermoepidermal junction.

Limitations: Small, single-center retrospective review and lack of full-body photographs are limitations.

Conclusions: A confetti-like pattern of depigmentation may be a negative prognostic indicator for patients with rapidly progressing vitiligo. Further, prospective studies to evaluate this physical finding should be performed.

Keywords: depigmentation; leukoderma; melanocyte; pigmentation; skin of color; vitiligo.