Effect of age at onset on disease characteristics in vitiligo

Vitiligo is a multifactorial disease in which genetic, immunologic, and environmental factors play an important part. Late-onset vitiligo is a poorly defined entity.

Case records of patients who attended the pigmentary clinic at our institute from January 2001 to December 2010 were reviewed. Patients with a diagnosis of vitiligo were analyzed with respect to their demographic characteristics with special reference to their age at onset.

Patients with disease onset after 30 years had a significantly higher association with precipitating factors such as trauma, stress, and drugs in comparison with early-onset vitiligo (p < .004). However, the difference did not reach statistical significance when these factors were analyzed individually. There was a significantly higher association with other nonautoimmune diseases (p  =  .05), a higher incidence of positive family history (p < .0001), and a higher association with leukotrichia (p < .002) in late-onset disease. Early-onset nonsegmental vitiligo was associated with a higher incidence of photosensitivity and pruritus compared to early-onset segmental vitiligo.

Late-onset vitiligo has certain distinguishing features compared to early-onset vitiligo.