Halo nevi and vitiligo

Abstract

Core Messages: The halo nevus (HN) is a common lesion, with a suspected prevalence of 1% in the general population. The HN incidence is apparently equally increased in both segmental (SV) and nonseg-mental (NSV) vitiligo. There is a trend toward less extensive NSV in the case of association with HN. The usual explanation of the depigmented ring is that the immunologic response, first directed against the nevus melanocytic antigen(s), outgrows its first target to cause the loss of normal melanocytes of the surrounding skin. HN and vitiligo involve two independent pathways leading to depigmentation, but a possible overlap exists in a subset of patients, and there is an overall increased proneness to HN in both SV and NSV patients. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.