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. 2020 Nov-Dec;65(6):473-482.
doi: 10.4103/ijd.IJD_822_19.

A Nationwide, Multicentric Case-Control Study on Vitiligo (MEDEC-V) to Elicit the Magnitude and Correlates

Nilendu Sarma  1 , Sayantani Chakraborty  2 , Shital Poojary  3 , B M Shashi Kumar  4 , Lalit Kumar Gupta  5 , Leelavathy Budamakuntla  6 , Leishiwon Kumrah  7 , Suchibrata Das  8 , Ajay Govindrao Ovhal  9 , Nirmal Kumar Mandal  10 , Shuvankar Mukherjee  11 , T V Anoop  12 , Binod Kumar Thakur  13 , L Eswari  14 , Joan Felicita Samson  15 , Krina Bharat Patel  16 , Rajesh Rajagopalan  17 , Sanjeev Gupta  18 , Tejinder Kaur  19
Affiliations

A Nationwide, Multicentric Case-Control Study on Vitiligo (MEDEC-V) to Elicit the Magnitude and Correlates

Nilendu Sarma et al. Indian J Dermatol. 2020 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Vitiligo is an acquired, idiopathic, and common depigmentation disorder. The values of various epidemiologic parameters are often doubtful due to the methodological weaknesses of the studies.

Aims: To elicit the magnitude of various epidemiological parameters and important correlates of vitiligo.

Materials and methods: Every vitiligo patient attending the outpatient department of medical colleges spread over most of the Indian states were examined over a period of 1 year. Various epidemiological and clinical variables were examined and compared with age and sex-matched controls (registered in the Clinical Trial Registry of India CTRI/2017/06/008854).

Results: A total of 4,43,275 patients were assessed in 30 medical colleges from 21 Indian states. Institutional prevalence of vitiligo was 0.89% (0.86% in males and 0.93% in females, P < 0.001). The mean age at presentation and mean age at onset were 30.12 ± 17.97 years and 25.14 ± 7.48 years, respectively. Head-neck was the most common primary site (n = 1648, 41.6%) and most commonly affected site (n = 2186, 55.17%). Most cases had nonsegmental vitiligo (n = 2690, 67.89%). The disease started before 20 years of age in more than 46% of cases. About 77% of all cases had signs of instability during the last 1 year. The family history, consanguinity, hypothyroid disorders, and depressed mood were significantly (P < 0.001) higher among the cases. First, second, and third-degree family members were affected in 269 (60.04%), 111 (24.78%), and 68 (15.18%) cases, respectively. Work-related exposure to chemicals was significantly higher among cases (P < 0.008). Obesity was less common among vitiligo cases [P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.71-0.86].

Conclusion: This is one of the largest studies done on vitiligo in India. The prevalence of vitiligo was found to be 0.89% among hospital attendees. Prevalence of vitiligo was higher among females than in males and prevalence of family history, consanguinity, hypothyroid disorders were higher in vitiligo than among controls.

Keywords: Epidemiology; India; family history; multicentric study; prevalence; psychosocial; vitiligo.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Institutional prevalence of vitiligo (overall, in males and in females) in all the centres (Andhra = Andhra Pradesh, HP = Himachal Pradesh, JH = Jharkhand, JK = Jammu and Kashmir, KT = Karnataka, Maha = Maharastra, Megha = Meghalaya, MP = Madhya Pradesh, TN = Tamil Nadu, UP = Uttar Pradesh, WB = West Bengal. The number (1, 2) beside the state indicates the centers in that state)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trends in the presenting age and onset age in different age categories
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of stability assessed with VIDA scoring among cases (prog- progressive, repig = repigmentation, the number in bracket indicates VIDA scores)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Distribution of rates of involvement of different regions with vitiligo at the onset, at presentation, and the change with time. At presentation, multiple regions were simultaneously affected
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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