Tehran University Medical Journal

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Background: This study aimed to assess the quality of life in vitiligo sufferers and its relationship with a number of variables such as age, gender, educational level, place of residence, marital status, disease duration, disease extension, visibility of lesions and skin phototype (SPT).
Methods: In this study we evaluate the quality of life in patients with vitiligo attending Razi Hospital in July and August 2005. Permission from Professor Finlay was obtained to use the DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index) questionnaire to evaluate the quality of life. One hundred patients with at least one vitiligo patch (age range= 14–57) answered the question-naire. Other survey questions about mentioned variables were also answered. Scoring was done according to Finlay`s guidelines. The higher the score, the greater the impairment of quality of life.
Results: The mean DLQI score in our study was 8.16 (sd=5.423) with a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 28. There were statistically significant relationships between DLQI scores and marital status, skin phototype and disease extension independently, but not between DLQI scores and other variables. The mean DLQI score was significantly higher in married compared to single patients. In fact this difference was significant in women. Married women had a statistically higher score than single women while single and married men had no significant difference. Patients with Skin Phototype IV showed a higher DLQI score than other SPTs, which was statistically notable (p=0.000). The patients with more disease extension had higher score that was statistically significant (p=0.000).
Conclusions: This study shows that vitiligo has a major impact on the quality of life and indicates specific groups that are most affected by the disease. Hence, dermatologists should pay attention to the psychologic effects of this cosmetic disease and try to decrease its extension and disfiguring effects by various treatment modalities.