A Single-Center Retrospective Study of Pediatric Vitiligo in a Tertiary Hospital

Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2024 Jun;63(6):779-784. doi: 10.1177/00099228231193588. Epub 2023 Aug 27.

Abstract

Vitiligo is a common disorder; however, its management is unknown by many primary-care doctors and pediatricians. Most articles focus on adults; we analyze the characteristics and impact on children. A single-center retrospective study was conducted over 10 years on 254 children diagnosed with vitiligo. About 50.4% were male with a mean age of 8.24 years. There was a slight predominance of nonsegmented vitiligo. About 12.59% had family history of vitiligo and 11.4% of autoimmune diseases. Around 15.7% patients presented other dermatological diseases and 9.05%, autoimmune diseases. No significant statistical differences were found when comparing age, sex, and type of vitiligo with other variables. Almost 96.06% received treatment with calcineurin inhibitors and 66.53% topical steroids. Around 77% obtained repigmentation, and out of the initial nonresponders, 16% responded to phototherapy. In general, our results concur with the scarce literature. A long-term follow-up of children with vitiligo is needed to identify treatment side effects and diseases associated.

Keywords: autoimmunity; calcineurin inhibitors; family history; pediatric vitiligo; topical steroids.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Calcineurin Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Phototherapy / methods
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tertiary Care Centers* / statistics & numerical data
  • Vitiligo* / therapy