UNUSUAL SKIN DEPIGMENTATION FOLLOWING EYELID CRYOSURGERY

A 71-year-old African-American man was treated with cryosurgery of the left lower for trichiasis. Dramatic depigmentation of the lid skin fo llowed, including substantial pigment loss on the untreated upper lip. Pigmentation returned to nearly normal over a 9-year period. Depigmen tation of the skin following cryosurgery is a well-known complication. The clinical course of the depigmentation, however, is not well demon strated in the literature. This case documents, with clinical photogra phs, the spontaneous return to nearly normal pigmentation 9 years foll owing the cryosurgery. In addition, the extensive depigmentation seen in this patient cannot be explained by cryoinjury alone. We speculate that the depigmentation was due, in part, to segmental vitiligo initia ted at the site treated with cryosurgery.