Comorbid autoimmune diseases in patients with vitiligo: A cross-sectional study

Background Few large-scale studies have quantified the burden of comorbid autoimmune diseases in patients with vitiligo. Objective We sought to determine the prevalence of comorbid autoimmune diseases in patients with vitiligo. Methods We conducted a manual chart review on a cohort of 1873 patients with vitiligo seen between January 2002 and October 2012 at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, MI. Patients were excluded if they had fewer than 2 dermatology notes (N = 595) or if they were never given a diagnosis of vitiligo by a dermatologist (N = 180). Results Of 1098 patients with vitiligo, nearly 20% had at least 1 comorbid autoimmune disease. Compared with the general US population, we found a higher prevalence of thyroid disease (12.9%, P P P  = .046), pernicious anemia (0.5%, P  = .007), systemic lupus erythematosus (0.3%, P  = .048), Guillain-Barre syndrome (0.3%, P P  = .003), linear morphea (0.2%, P P  = .002), and Sjogren syndrome (0.2%, P  = .011). Limitations The study lacked a control group. This was a single-institution study with possible selection bias, and thus the findings may not be representative of the overall population of patients with vitiligo. Conclusions We observed a high prevalence of comorbid autoimmune diseases in patients with vitiligo and report several new associations.