The clinical patterns of vitiligo “hospital-based study” in Makkah region, Saudi Arabia

Background: little is known about the clinical patterns of vitiligo and its associations in arab countries, particularly saudi arabia. methods: we performed a retrospective review of 135 medical records of patient with vitiligo seen at the hera hospital, makkah, saudi arabia between january 2010 and june 2013. results: of the 135 patients (mean age, 24.5 years), 91 (67.4%) were females. twenty-six patients (25%) had a positive family history, 12.6% with associated thyroid disorders, 9.6% diabetes mellitus, 8.9% atopic dermatitis, 3.7% leukotrichia, and 2.2% alopecia areata. sixty percent of patients had localized vitiligo, 37% generalized, 9.6% acrofacial, and 1.5% universal. the commonest site for the first vitiligo lesion was the face (28% of patients), whereas the commonest site at the time of diagnosis was the lower limb (51% of cases). the commonest topical treatment for localized vitiligo was tacrolimus (34.8%), whereas narrow band ultraviolet b (14%) had most commonly been prescribed for those with generalized vitiligo. conclusions: the patients were predominantly females, with a large proportion having a positive family history. the mean age of onset of vitiligo in our study was 24.5 years. it was commonly associated with thyroid disorders. localized vitiligo was the most prevalent type.