Clinical Features of Vitiligo Associated with Comorbid Autoimmune Disease: A Prospective Survey
October 2013
in “
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
”
TLDR Vitiligo patients should be routinely screened for thyroid disease and, if extensive or prolonged, also for RA, PA, and type 2 diabetes.
This study surveyed 2,644 individuals with vitiligo to identify associations with comorbid autoimmune diseases (VAAD). It found that 34.8% of adults and 8.4% of children had VAAD, with hyperthyroidism/hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), pernicious anemia (PA), type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and alopecia areata being the most common. VAAD was linked to female sex, older age, and specific vitiligo characteristics such as body surface area affected, number of body parts, bilaterality, duration, and itching/burning. The study recommended screening for thyroid disease in all vitiligo patients, especially those with extensive disease, and for RA, PA, and type 2 DM in patients with extensive, prolonged vitiligo and skin symptoms. Routine screening for other autoimmune diseases was not recommended unless symptoms were present.