[Epidemiological and clinical profile of vitiligo in Tunisia: retrospective study of 503 cases]

Vitiligo is an acquired leucoderma whose etiology remains unknown. Its frequency in the world is estimated at 1%.

The purpose of our study is to asses, with through a retrospective hospital series, the epidemilogic, clinical, therapeutic and course of this dermatosis and to compare our results with those of the literature.

This is a retrospective study of consecutive patients attending the outpatient dermatological department at Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis over a 5 year-period (from June 1999 to July 2000).

503 patients were reviewed during a 5-year period. They were 288 women and 215 men (sex-ratio F/H = 1.33). The average age was 28.2 years (extremes of 3 and 80 years). The peak of frequency was located in the 2nd decade of the life (26%). A family history of vitiligo was found in 27% of the cases. The average time of consultation was 21 months. The localization of the lesions was ubiquitary prevalent at the uncovered areas. An association with other pathological conditions was found in 23% of cases. Most patients were treated by a photochemotherapy (78.2%). Photoprotection was advised among all patients. The course was specified in 112 cases corresponding to a partial (28.9%) or a complete repigmentation (0, 8%), a stabilization of lesions (41.6%) and an extension (26%).

Our results are consistent with the literature stressing the frequency of vitiligo which can cause an aesthetic and psychological damage of variable and sometimes major importance.