The Prevalence of Vitiligo: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

ObjectiveTo conduct a meta-analysis assessing the prevalence of vitiligo.MethodsLiteratures that reported prevalence rates of vitiligo were identified using EMBASE, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database and Weipu database for the period from inception to May 2016. We performed stratified analyses on possible sources of bias, including areas difference, years of publication, gender and age. Publication bias was assessed with Egger’s test method.ResultsA total of 103 studies were eligible for inclusion. The pooled prevalence of vitiligo from 82 population- or community-based studies was 0.2% (95%CI: 0.1%–0.2%) and from 22 hospital-based studies was 1.8% (95%CI: 1.4%–2.1%). A relatively high prevalence of vitiligo was found in Africa area and in female patients. For population- or community-based studies, the prevalence has maintained at a low level in recent 20 years and it has increased with age gradually. For hospital-based studies, the prevalence has showed a decreased trend from 60s till now or from young to old. No significant publication bias existed in hospital-based studies (t = 0.47, P = 0.643), while a significant publication bias existed in population- or community-based studies (t = 2.31, P = 0.026).ConclusionA relatively high prevalence of vitiligo was found in Africa area and in female patients. The prevalence has maintained at a low level in recent years. It showed an inverse trend with age increment in population- or community-based studies and hospital-based studies.

Prevalence of vitiligo in Brazil—A population survey

“…It has its onset mostly during the 2nd and 3rd decade of life and affects females with a slight predilection over males. Although found globally, vitiligo tends to be more frequent among Asians and Africans (Tarle, Nascimento, Mira, & Castro, 2014;Zhang et al, 2016). In Mexico, a multicentre survey with 50,000 individuals estimated the prevalence to be 0.21% (Estrada Castañón et al, 1992), but data for South America are relatively sparse.…”

“…It is important to note, however, that prevalence data do not only depend on study population but also on study methodology. For instance, a meta-analysis has shown a pooled prevalence of 1.8% from 22 hospital-based studies but only 0.2% from 82 community-based studies, with the latter showing evidence of publication bias (Zhang et al, 2016).…”

Evaluation of combined excimer laser and platelet‐rich plasma for the treatment of nonsegmental vitiligo: A prospective comparative study

“…Indeed, for the management of various skin disorders, the 308‐nm excimer laser has become a common strategy . It has also been revealed that this laser has been used successfully to treat vitiligo …”

Patient-reported outcomes: A 5-year long study reveals previously unreported therapeutic, demographic, socio-economic, and other correlations in vitiligo

“…The global vitiligo prevalence varies from 0.004% to 9.98% with an estimate for the United States at 1% of the population, according to a meta‐analysis by Zhang et al (). Previous research on Quality of Life by Teovska Mitrevska, Eleftheriadou, Guarneri (), psycho‐social impact and socio‐economic burden of vitiligo (Lai, Yew, Kennedy, & Schwartz, ), patient's experiences (Picardo et al, ) and self‐reported treatment outcomes (Teasdale et al, ) highlighted further need for research in this area.…”