Pigmentary disorders in Western countries

Abstract

Countries in the so-called "Western" world, especially in Europe, witnessed a dramatic change in ethnic backgrounds of their populations starting in the last decennia of the last century. This had repercussions on various aspects of our society, including medical practice. In dermatology for instance, pigmentary disorders are seen more often, and the clinical pictures and their impact on patients are different from what doctors and researchers are used to and trained for. In this article, the experience from the Netherlands Institute for Pigment Disorders and the multicenter designed Netherlands guideline on vitiligo are described and the importance of the patient's point of view, as can be measured by patient reported outcomes like quality of life, is emphasized.