ABSTRACT
Vitiligo is acquired circumscribed leukoerma. Half of all cases begin before the age of 20 years. Our study was to specify the epidemiological and clinical features of juvenile vitiligo [JV]. Through a retrospective study we collected all cases of vitiligo aged less than 16 years, followed during 9 years, between 1997 and 2005 in the Dermatology department of the la Rabta hospital. For every patient, we have focused the epidemiologic, clinical and therapeutic data. One hundred and six cases of JV were enrolled. The mean age was 10 years, with sex ratio [M/F] about 0.49. The mean duration of disease was about 1.5 years. A positive family history of vitiligo and autoimmune disease was noted respectively in 13.2%et 1.9%of our patients. Vulgaris presentation was observed in 53.77%of cases. More patients in our study were treated with topical steroid. There was a paucity of published data regarding JV, they reported some characteristics [female preponderance, higher incidence of family history of vitiligo, autoinimune and/or endocrine disease, increased segmental presentation]. Despite these features, it is premature to conclude that JV is a distinct subset of vitiligo