Medical term for a skin condition causing loss of pigment. The word literally means 'white catfish', from the resemblance of white patches to a catfish's pale belly.
Vitiligo is a condition where the skin loses its pigment.
He is receiving treatment for vitiligo.
Standard kanji spelling for the medical term.
Irregular kanji usage; 瘢 is not a standard character for this condition.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, sometimes used for readability.
Katakana variant occasionally seen in informal contexts.
Compound of 白 (しろ, 'white') and 癜 (なまず, 'catfish'), referring to the white patches resembling a catfish's pale underside. The exact origin of the metaphorical extension is uncertain.