Background:Vitiligo has a devastating psychosocial effect. The cultural traditions of Saudi society are quite different compared with the western world. Hence, a quality of life study using a different questionnaire suitable to the cultural traditions of the society is necessary to measure qualify of life in vitiligo patients.Objective:This study was conducted to assess the quality of life (QOL) in Saudi vitiligo patients and their family.Materials and Methods:A prospective cross-sectional study at National Center for Vitiligo and Psoriasis, Saudi Arabia. A validated Arabic questionnaire of 41 questions was developed and utilized specifically for this study. Arabic language instrument was distributed to 260 vitiligo patients. Scores were compared in relation to demographic, clinical, and social variables in 4 dimensions of scale (relationship with colleagues, family relationship, social relationship, and self respect).Results:Overall score QOL was 17.1. Mean score for males was 11.1, whereas that for females was 23.9 (P < 0.05). Females scored significantly higher in all the 4 dimensions. Patients with exposed disease lesions scored significantly higher than those with unexposed lesions 5 vs 3.4 (P < 0.05).Conclusion:The overall score of QOL in vitiligo is relatively high, indicating a negative impact of the disease on QOL. QOL in women is significantly more affected than in men.
Background Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by nonscarring hair loss that can involve the scalp, face, and body. Severe AA subtypes have a poorer prognosis and can be challenging to treat. Tofacitinib, a recently introduced Janus kinase inhibitor, has shown positive results in treating AA. This multicenter study demonstrates the efficacy of tofacitinib and the patient response rate in a Saudi population.It also highlights patient characteristics that may serve as predictors of the therapeutic response to tofacitinib. Methods A prospective cohort study design was utilized. Study participants were included from three medical centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score was used to assess the percentage of hair loss at baseline and the percentage of hair regrowth at 3 and 6 months.
ResultsThe sample size was 68 with an average baseline SALT score of 76.8 AE 27.6%.Data at 6 months were available for 45 patients. Of these, 62.2% achieved a SALT score of >50%. Patients with a score of <50% had a significantly higher baseline SALT score compared to patients with >50% score. The past use of systemic steroids was associated with a diminished response to therapy (P = 0.015). The response to therapy was significantly higher in patients with AA compared to alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis.Conclusions Tofacitinib is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for severe AA and exhibits a good safety profile.
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