Relationship btw Alopecia areata and Vitiligo?

Hello!
     My father has Vitiligo and has no pigment in his skin or hair (all over his body).  I was recently diagnosed with Alopecia areata and was wondering if there is a connection.  Also, he said the doctor told him the type of cancer he got (Non-Hodgkin's Lymphona) is more prevelant in people with autoimmune diseases.  Is this true?

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

Yes, it is true.  Several autoimmune conditions, such as Sjogren's syndrome, thyroiditis, and rheumatoid arthritis, have consistently been linked to malignant or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

I do not know of a connection between alopecia and vitiligo.

Prof. Garth Nicolson

[vlpaige]

A related discussion, UPDATE: Is there a relationship between alopecia areata and vitilgo? was started.