Abstract :
Background: Vitiligo is an acquired, multifactorial disorder of depigmentation and is overwhelming and
distressing to the patients and the care givers. Childhood vitiligo has different characteristics as compared
to adult-onset vitiligo. Every parent wants to know if the disease will progress or regress.
Aims and Objectives: To study the epidemiological, clinical and hematological patterns of children with
vitiligo.
Materials and Methods: First 50 patients with vitiligo, younger than 12 years of age, who visited the
Dermatology outpatient department of Vinayaka Missions Hospital, a tertiary care center in Karaikal,
between January 2015 and January 2020 were included. They were assessed for the natural history, clinical
features, family history and associated abnormalities of vitiligo.
Results: There were 19 boys and 31 girls (boys: girls 1:1.63) out of 50 patients. Mean age of onset of
vitiligo was 5.8 years and mean duration was 1.4 years. The most common site was the head and the neck,
followed by the extremities, trunk and genitalia and the most prevalent type was vitiligo vulgaris (60%).
Then, it was acrofacial vitiligo (26.5%), focal vitiligo (23.7%) and segmental vitiligo (2.6%). 5 patients
had a positive family history. Involvement of mucosa in 12%, Leukotrichia in 11% and Koebnerization was
seen in 10% children. Body involvement is bilateral in 72% and unilateral in 28% children. Majority of
patients (49%) had multiple lesions (more than 5) and most (96%) had Conclusion: In children, any depigmented/hypopigmented lesion should be evaluated and followed up
properly to rule out vitiligo. The patterns and characteristics of childhood-onset vitiligo should be
understood properly by Dermatologists as it presents in a different manner from adult-onset disease and its
management should take several factors into consideration like extension, psychological effects on children
and parents, avoidance of treatment side effects and probable association with other autoimmune diseases.
Keyword :
Vitiligo, Children, Vulgaris, Segmental, Focal.