Clinical Features of Vitiligo in Children and Adolescents

Objective – The research was implemented in order to determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of vitiligo in children and adolescents.  Material and methods – The study was conducted as a crosssectional study of patients aged 0 to 18 years, treated at the Department of Dermatology at the Institute for Children and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina in Novi Sad, from January 1996 to January 2009. The study included 75 children and adolescents with vitiligo, 47 girls and 28 boys.  Results – The average age of the patients was 10.81 ± 4.06 years, and their age at the time of occurrence of vitiligo was 8.46 ± 4.19 years. The most common “trigger” for the occurrence of vitiligo was stress in 18 (13.5%) children. 19 (25.3%) had a positive family history of vitiligo, and 29 (38.6%) patients for other endocrine and/or autoimmune diseases, mostly for thyroid disorders - in 25 (33.3%) patients. The initial vitiligo lesions were most often on the head and neck - in 33 children (44.0%). Non segmental vitiligo was diagnosed in 69 (92.0%), and segmental vitiligo in 6 children and adolescents (8.0%). The most common type of vitiligo was generalized, in 32 (42.7%) patients. 28 (34.1%) had polyosis, 35 (42.7%) halo nevus, and Koebner’s phenomenon was found in 19 (23.2%) children and adolescents with vitiligo.  Conclusion – A higher incidence of vitiligo was confirmed in girls, the most common type of vitiligo was generalized, the most common sites of the initial lesions were the head and neck, which is consistent with previous studies on children’s vitiligo. The lower frequency of segmental and a higher incidence of acrofacial vitiligo is probably linked to the fact that 42.7% of the sample consisted of adolescents.

[1]  S Grover,et al.  Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine , 2008 .

[2]  J. Lambert,et al.  Hypomelanoses and hypermelanoses , 2008 .

[3]  R. Schwartz,et al.  Childhood vitiligo. , 2007, Cutis.

[4]  U. Pajvani,et al.  The relationship between family medical history and childhood vitiligo. , 2006, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

[5]  Xuejun Zhang,et al.  Profile of Childhood Vitiligo in China: An Analysis of 541 Patients , 2006, Pediatric dermatology.

[6]  N. Al‐Mutairi,et al.  Childhood vitiligo: A prospective hospital‐based study , 2005, The Australasian journal of dermatology.

[7]  G. Chrousos,et al.  Increased prevalence of chronic autoimmune (Hashimoto's) thyroiditis in children and adolescents with vitiligo. , 2005, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

[8]  B. Lie,et al.  CTLA4 polymorphisms are associated with vitiligo, in patients with concomitant autoimmune diseases. , 2005, Pigment cell research.

[9]  T. Tüting,et al.  Peripheral CD8+ T cell tolerance against melanocytic self-antigens in the skin is regulated in two steps by CD4+ T cells and local inflammation: implications for the pathophysiology of vitiligo. , 2005, The Journal of investigative dermatology.

[10]  J. Yamamoto-Furusho,et al.  HLA-DRB1 *04 is associated with the genetic susceptibility to develop vitiligo in Mexican patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. , 2005, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

[11]  J. Sinagra,et al.  Relevance of Thyroiditis and of Other Autoimmune Diseases in Children with Vitiligo , 2004, Dermatology.

[12]  V. Barišić-Druško,et al.  Trigger factors in childhood psoriasis and vitiligo. , 2004, Collegium antropologicum.

[13]  A. Akar,et al.  Association of HLA class I antigens and HLA class II alleles with vitiligo in a Turkish population. , 2004, Pigment cell research.

[14]  R. Spritz,et al.  A genomewide screen for generalized vitiligo: confirmation of AIS1 on chromosome 1p31 and evidence for additional susceptibility loci. , 2003, American journal of human genetics.

[15]  S. Dogra,et al.  Epidemiology of Childhood Vitiligo: A Study of 625 Patients from North India , 2003, Pediatric dermatology.

[16]  S. Prćić,et al.  [Vitiligo in childhood]. , 2002, Medicinski pregled.

[17]  A. Kanwar,et al.  Coexistence Of Vitiligo And Lichen Planus , 2002 .

[18]  J. Cassiman,et al.  Linkage and association of HLA class II genes with vitiligo in a Dutch population , 2001, The British journal of dermatology.

[19]  Soyun Cho,et al.  Characteristics of Vitiligo in Korean Children , 2000, Pediatric dermatology.

[20]  S. Handa,et al.  Vitiligo: Clinical Findings in 1436 Patients , 1999, The Journal of dermatology.

[21]  G. Agarwal.  Vitiligo: an under-estimated problem. , 1998, Family practice.

[22]  S. Hann,et al.  Clinical features of vitiligo. , 1997, Clinics in dermatology.

[23]  R. Halder.  Childhood vitiligo. , 1997, Clinics in dermatology.

[24]  J. Sánchez,et al.  ORGAN‐SPECIFIC AUTOANTIBODIES IN VITILIGO PATIENTS AND THEIR RELATIVES , 1996, International journal of dermatology.

[25]  M. Donaldson.  A Guide to the Practice of Paediatric Endocrinology , 1994 .

[26]  H. Nakagawa,et al.  Difference in clinical features and HLA antigens between familial and non‐familial vitiligo of non‐segmental type , 1993, The British journal of dermatology.

[27]  C. Brook.  A Guide to the Practice of Paediatric Endocrinology: The endocrine consequences of neoplasia , 1993 .

[28]  T. J. Jaisankar,et al.  VITILIGO IN CHILDREN , 1992, International journal of dermatology.

[29]  M. Martinetti,et al.  Age of onset in vitiligo: relationship with HLA supratypes , 1991, Clinical genetics.

[30]  Thomas B. Fitzpatrick,et al.  Dermatology in general medicine , 1971 .