What is piebaldism?
Melanocytes are cells that assist in producing the pigment melanin which contributes to skin, hair, and eye color. Piebaldism is a symptom that is distinguished by the lack of melanocyte cells in areas of the hair and skin.
There tends to be noticeably white patches in certain areas of the face or hair. This condition is visible from birth and usually remains the same throughout life.
Understanding skin-related symptoms and features.
Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.
Skin is a part of the integumentary system of the body, a system which includes not only skin but also hair and nails too. The integumentary system acts to protect our body from external threats or injury.
Generally, symptoms affecting the skin can be seen with the eye. Although diagnosing a skin-related symptom may involve different tests and assessments, both subjective and objective.
Symptoms relating to the skin may be temporary or permanent and cover conditions including rashes, hives, lesions, and discoloration. They may affect the tone, texture, and appearance of the skin in different ways. They may also cause some level of discomfort, including itching and or some level of pain.
What should I do next?
In some instances, piebaldism may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with Piebaldism, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist. Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis. FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.