What is the medical term for the complete absence of pigment in the skin?

What is the medical term for the complete absence of pigment in the skin?

Albinism: Albinism is a rare inherited disorder caused by the absence of an enzyme that produces melanin. This results in a complete lack of pigmentation in skin, hair, and eyes. Albinos have an abnormal gene that restricts the body from producing melanin.

Which condition is an inherited deficiency or absence of pigment in the skin hair and eyes?

albinism, (from the Latin albus, meaning “white”), hereditary condition characterized by the absence of pigment in the eyes, skin, hair, scales, or feathers.

What do you call a genetic condition where there is absence of melanin in the skin?

Albinism is an inherited condition that leads to someone having very light skin, hair, and eyes. It happens because they have less melanin than usual in their body.

Whats the definition of albinism?

Listen to pronunciation. (AL-bih-NIH-zum) A group of genetic conditions marked by little or none of the pigment melanin in the skin, hair, and/or eyes. People with albinism may have vision problems and white or yellow hair; reddish, violet, blue or brown eyes; and pale skin.

Can vitiligo be inherited?

Vitiligo sometimes runs in families, but the inheritance pattern is complex because multiple causative factors are involved. About one-fifth of people with this condition have at least one close relative who is also affected.

What is the meaning of hyperpigmentation?

(HY-per-pig-men-TAY-shun) A common, usually harmless condition in which patches of skin are darker than the surrounding skin. It occurs when special cells in the skin make too much of the pigment called melanin. Hyperpigmentation may appear as freckles, age spots, or larger areas of darkened skin.

How is melanin deficiency treated?

Eating vitamin C–rich foods like citrus, berries, and leafy green vegetables may optimize melanin production. Taking a vitamin C supplement may help as well.

Can someone have no melanin?

The term albinism typically refers to oculocutaneous (ok-u-low-ku-TAY-nee-us) albinism (OCA) — a group of inherited disorders where there is little or no production of the pigment melanin. The type and amount of melanin your body produces determines the color of your skin, hair and eyes.

How Albinism is inherited?

In all types of OCA and some types of OA, albinism is passed on in an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. This means a child has to get 2 copies of the gene that causes albinism (1 from each parent) to have the condition.