J Am Acad Dermatol. 2011 Oct 5. [Epub ahead of print]
Childhood- and later-onset vitiligo have diverse epidemiologic and clinical characteristics.
Nicolaidou E, Antoniou C, Miniati A, Lagogianni E, Matekovits A, Stratigos A, Katsambas A.
Source
First Department of Dermatology, University of Athens School of Medicine, «Andreas Sygros» Hospital for Skin and Venereal Diseases, Athens, Greece.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Vitiligo onset during childhood is common. There are limited data regarding childhood-onset vitiligo.
OBJECTIVE:
We sought to provide an epidemiologic and clinical comparison between childhood- and later-onset vitiligo.
METHODS:
Two groups of patients were included in this cross-sectional study. Consecutive patients examined at the Vitiligo Clinic of Andreas Sygros Hospital for Skin and Venereal Diseases, Athens, Greece, from January 2005 to December 2009 with a disease onset before the age of 12 years were included in the childhood-onset group. The later-onset group included randomly selected patients who were examined at the same period and had a disease onset after the age of 12 years. After clinical examination, a standardized questionnaire was completed for each patient.
RESULTS:
In all, 126 patients were included in the childhood-onset and 107 patients in the later-onset group. Childhood-onset vitiligo: (1) involved different sites at initial presentation, (2) included more cases of segmental type, and (3) was characterized by a higher prevalence of allergic diseases and a lower prevalence of thyroid diseases. Longer duration of disease and a positive family history of thyroid disease were associated with the presence of thyroid disease only in the childhood-onset group. In the later-onset group, only female sex was associated with the presence of thyroid disease.
LIMITATIONS:
The study was conducted in a hospital specializing in skin diseases and a selection bias toward more severe vitiligo cases is possible.
CONCLUSIONS:
Childhood-onset vitiligo had distinct epidemiologic and clinical characteristics, compared with later-onset disease.
Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.
PMID:
21982634
[PubMed – as supplied by publisher]
