Changes in epidermal thickness and their correlation with clinical characteristics in patients with vitiligo

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder characterized by epidermal melanocyte damage, with the typical clinical manifestation of white patches of skin. Keratinocytes, which work in concert with melanocytes to maintain the structural and functional integrity of the skin, are implicated in the progression of vitiligo. Recent studies have reported abnormal keratinocyte proliferation and epidermal thickening in some patients with vitiligo; however, the relationship between these changes and the clinical characteristics of vitiligo remains unclear. We assessed the changes in epidermal thickness in patients with vitiligo and their correlation with clinical characteristics. Compared to the non-lesional skins, the stratum corneum, viable epidermis, and full epidermis in the lesional skins were all significantly thicker. The thickness of the stratum corneum in the head, neck, and trunk was greatly lower than that in the extremities. The thickness of the stratum corneum in the sun-exposed area was higher than that in the sun-protected area, whereas the thickness of the viable epidermis decreased. In conclusion, our study found that the epidermis in the lesional skins of patients with vitiligo was significantly thickened, especially in the sun-exposed areas and extremities.