Comorbid Diseases of Vitiligo: A ten-year cross-sectional retrospective study of an urban United States population

Abstract Background Vitiligo is associated with medical conditions, primarily autoimmune; however, only few studies in the United States have investigated these associations. Objective The purpose of the study is to investigate the diseases associated with vitiligo in the New York City population and to evaluate if these associations differ by race/ethnicity and gender. Methods This was a retrospective study that analyzed data collected from the medical records of 1487 vitiligo patients seen at New York University (NYU) over a ten-year period. Results Vitiligo patients had a statistically significant higher prevalence of hypothyroidism, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), seronegative arthritis, pernicious anemia, myasthenia gravis, inflammatory bowel disease, lymphoma, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Rates of comorbid autoimmune diseases varied by race and gender. Limitations Medical charts did not consistently report race/ethnicity, type of vitiligo and total body surface area affected. Information from non-dermatology medical visits was also included. Conclusion This study found multiple new disease associations with vitiligo including multiple sclerosis, ITP, and lymphoma as well as previously reported associations with other autoimmune diseases, the most common being hypothyroidism followed by rheumatoid arthritis. Associations did vary by race/ethnicity and gender.