A Clinical Study of 381 Patients with Childhood Vitiligo / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo, the pigmentary disorder of the skin and hair, affects patients of various ages from neonates to old adults. According to the onset age, vitiligo is classified as adult or childhood type. Previous clinical studies on childhood vitiligo are rare in Korea. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of childhood vitiligo. METHOD: A clinical investigation was made of 381 outpatients with childhood vitiligo (between 6months and 15years of onset) who had visited the Department of Dermatology, Pusan National University Hospital from January 1988 till December 1997. Results : The results a summarized as follows 1. The subjects consisted of 206(54.1%) females and 175(45.9%) males. 2. The mean age of onset was 7.7 years(males : 8.0, female 7.5). 3. The mean duration of the disease was 2.6 years(male : 2.5, female : 2.7). 4. Familial history was obtained in 30 cases(7.9%) and the most common precipitating factor was trauma(40.0%). 5. Both vulgaris(43.3%) and segmental type(30.4%) were common clinical types in the classification of Ortone et at. Trigeminal distribution(53.4%) was the most common segmental types in Koga's classification. 6. The most common site of initial involvement was the face and neck(52.2%) 7. The most common degree of depigmented lesion was within 5%(84.5%). 8. The progression of vitiligo was present in 68.2% of patients and the incidence of poliosis was 11.5%. 9. Koebner phenomenon was present in 12 cases(3.1%). 10. The most common associated diseases were acne and halo nevus (18.0%). Conclusion : Childhood vitiligo is relatively unique in the clinical findings such as the clinical type(high incidence of segmental type), precipitating factor(trauma is the main factor), depigmented area(small involvement in the extent of the lesion) and the progression of the disease.