white spots and patches on neck, lower face, chest, and forearms.?

[luckyhealth]

I have white spots and patches on my forearms, neck, lower face, and chest. I dont know what this is although I read an article which stated that it maybe chlamydia. I dont know for sure but it goes away sometimes then comes back throughout the year. It causes some itching and sometimes makes me uncomfartable. What is this, is it a fungus or an STD?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Two possibilities are there for such depigementation.Firstly,it can be due to tinea versicolor(which is more likely in your case). Tinea versicolor is caused by a fungus that lives in the skin of almost all adults. Factors that can cause the fungus to become more visible include high humidity and immune or hormone abnormalities.Treatment involves topical and oral antifungal medicines.Selsen(not selsen blue) and nizoral shampoo are good for topical application.

Second possibility is of vitiligo. It is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes (the cells that make pigment) in the skin are destroyed. As a result, white patches appear on the skin in different parts of the body. Diagnosis can be confirmed by external examination, blood tests to check skin cell count  for melanocytes and biopsy of the skin patches.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[bobu631]

I've had something that sounds very similar to yours. It was patches of redness and also white blotches in various areas. The doctor prescribed Selenium Sulfide 2.5%. It's a creamy substance that you rub on before bed. Apply it two consecutive nights. Within days the blotches and redness was gone. I was really happy. It's the same ingredient that you find in some dandruff shampoos.

Best of luck to you!

Bobby