Question

A nurse practitioner notes that a patient has hypopigmentation with irregular shapes on the face, arms, and abdomen of a patient. Which of the following diagnoses does the patient likely have?

a. Xerosis
b. Nevi
c. Acanthosis nigricans
d. Vitiligo

Answer 1

The patient with hypopigmentation and irregular shapes on the face, arms, and abdomen is most likely suffering from vitiligo, a condition where melanocytes lose the ability to produce melanin, leading to lighter patches of skin.

Step-by-step explanation:

A patient presenting with hypopigmentation and irregularly shaped areas on the face, arms, and abdomen likely has a condition called vitiligo. Vitiligo is characterized by depigmentation, resulting in lighter colored patches of skin due to the loss of melanocytes' ability to produce melanin, potentially from an autoimmune reaction. This condition is particularly noticeable on darker skin and leads to a varying loss of color in patches. Unlike albinism, which affects pigmentation entirely, vitiligo affects only certain patches of the skin and does not directly influence lifespan, though it has social and psychological implications for the individual.

Other conditions such as xerosis, nevi, and acanthosis nigricans are not characterized by hypopigmentation. Xerosis is a condition of dry skin, nevi are commonly known as moles and are usually pigmented lesions, and acanthosis nigricans involves hyperpigmentation usually in the folds of the skin rather than hypopigmentation. Therefore, among the options provided, vitiligo fits the description of the patient's symptoms best.