An Uncommon Presentation of the Co-Existence of Morphea and Vitiligo in a Patient with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: Is There a Possible Association with Autoimmunity?

August 12, 2009

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American Journal of Clinical Dermatology:

1 October 2009 - Volume 10 - Issue 5 - pp 336-338

doi: 10.2165/11310800-000000000-00000

Case Reports

An Uncommon Presentation of the Co-Existence of Morphea and Vitiligo in a

Patient with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: Is There a Possible

Association with Autoimmunity?

Soylu, Seçil; Gül, Ülker; Gönül, Müzeyyen; Klç, Arzu; Çakmak, Seray Külcü;

Demiriz, Murat

Abstract

A 30-year-old man presented with indurated violaceous plaques all over his body

that had been present for 7 months. The patient had also had vitiligo for 3.5

years, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and cirrhosis for a 2-year period.

Histopathologic examination of the indurated plaques confirmed the diagnosis of

morphea. Localized scleroderma and vitiligo have only rarely been reported to

occur simultaneously. Although the etiologies of vitiligo and morphea are both

uncertain, their association with autoimmune diseases favors an autoimmune

hypothesis. Both vitiligo and morphea might have appeared coincidentally.

However, this association could be significant because it may be related to the

presence of HBV and alterations in the immune system that are caused by this

virus. Therefore, this rare combination of vitiligo and morphea in a patient

with chronic HBV infection warrants attention because it suggests a possible

immunologic association, which may merit future study.

August 12, 2009