The socio-demography and clinical profile of vitiligo in Sudan

Abstract EN

Introduction : Vitiligo is a chronic skin disease that causes loss of pigment, resulting in irregular pale patches of skin.

The precise cause of Vitiligo is complex and not fully understood.

There is some evidence suggesting it is caused by a combination of auto-immune, genetic, and environmental factors.

The population incidence worldwide is considered to be between 0.1 % and 2 %.

The disease has different clinical types but generally, it consists of areas of macular depigmentation, commonly on extensor aspects of extremities, on the face or neck, and in skin folds.

Age of onset is often in young adulthood and the condition tends to progress gradually with lesions enlarging and extending until a quiescent state is reached. Objective : To define the socio-demography and clinical profile of Vitiligo in Sudan.

Study design : This study is a cross-sectional, clinico-epidemiological and hospital-based study, done in Khartoum Dermatologic Hospital (KDH).

The data were collected between June 2007 and November 2007. Results : The total number of patients with Vitiligo in the study was 113.

Male patients were 47 (42 %).

Children were 13 (11 %), adults were 90 (80 %) and elderly were 10 (9 %).

The mean age of onset of the disease was found to be 11.5 yrs in 22.5 % of the patients.

Patients with acute (< 1 yr) disease were 6 (5.4 %), while those with chronic (≥ 1 yr) disease were 107 (94.6 %).

The most commonly affected tribe was Algaa’liyeen tribe (27 %).

The commonest precipitating factor for Vitiligo has been found to be emotional disturbances (in 27 % of patients).

Commonest symptom of the disease was depigmented patch / es (64.8 %).

Severe (≥10 %) involvement of skin surface area was found in 59 % of patients, while mild (<10 %) involvement was found in 41 %.

Koebner sign was found to be present in 42 % of patients.

The disease was active in 47.3 % of patients.

The bilaterally symmetrical pattern of distribution was the commonest pattern (in 85 %).

The commonest clinical type of Vitiligo was the generalized type (82.3 %).

35 % of patients with Vitiligo had positive family history. Conclusion : The clinical profile of Vitiligo in Sudan was not so different from that found worldwide.