My 4-month-old baby has a white patch on her right thigh. Could this be vitiligo?

Question

Hello doctor,

My 4 months old baby has a small white mark on her right thigh, which appeared a few days later after her birth. I am just concerned about what it is. I showed it to two general practitioners, and they said it would go away on its own. I just wanted an expert's advice. I hope it is not a serious skin condition. I noticed this white mark on my baby’s thigh when she was seven weeks old. I got a bit concerned because my mother has vitiligo and I just get worried whenever I see it. My baby is now 4 months old. I think it has lightened a bit, but I just wanted advice from a dermatologist to confirm if it is something to be concerned about or normal for babies to have it. It is only one white patch on her right thigh, nowhere else on the body.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

According to history, a white patch appeared over the right thigh a few days after birth. Looking at the picture (attachment removed to protect patient identity), there is a single white lesion without any dark border around it. It is only present on one side. These points are in favor of a condition called nevus depigmentosus. No specific treatment is effective or is necessary. Wait and watch protocol is followed, unless for cosmetic reasons (which can be performed if she gets older, 18 years of age). Another cause of white patches is post-inflammatory hypopigmentation following trauma or infection. Vitiligo is another cause, but you will find white hairs in the center of the lesion, and there is a dark margin around the patch in vitiligo. But you have not mentioned the whitening of hairs inside the patch or around it. A very simple technique to confirm the diagnosis is by woods lamp examination and dermoscopy. It would differentiate between the birth mark and vitiligo. These tests are noninvasive, painless, simple procedure, and takes less time to do. You can take your baby to your dermatologist to have it done.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Since there are no white hairs inside the patch, it makes the chances of having vitiligo relatively thin. But for the sake of confirming the diagnosis, you should get these tests done to be 100% sure.