Ophthalmology Research: An International Journal

Vitiligo is a pigmentary disorder of the skin and mucous membranes with worldwide incidence of 0.5-2%. The aim of this cross sectional study was to assess the ocular involvement in vitiligo patients. Two hundred patients clinically diagnosed vitiligo attending vitiligo clinic, dermatology department, Jomhorya hospital, Benghazi-Libya over a period of 6 months enrolled in this cross-sectional study. All patients were exposed to detailed disease history and thorough dermatological examination. Out of the total cases, 100 patients had a standard Ophthalmologic examination in cooperation with an ophthalmologist in Benghazi eye hospital. Results of our study showed a slightly higher prevalence of vitiligo in females (male: female ratio 1:2.8). The mean age of onset for males was 22.4 years and for females 24.8 years and 58.5% of patients develop vitiligo below 20 years of age. Generalized vitiligo was the commonest clinical type of vitiligo (57.5%). The relationship between the duration of the disease and its type was statistically significant (P<0.05), there was also a significant relationship between the type of vitiligo and its severity (P< 0.01). Sixteen patients (8%) had segmental vitiligo and the face was the common site involved. The lower limbs were the most commonly affected sites of the body (57%). Ocular changes were seen in 40% of patients and specific ocular abnormalities like uveitis, iritis, and iris and retinal pigmentary abnormalities are present in 15% of patients, nonspecific ocular abnormalities were present in 33% of patients. There was no statistically significant correlation between specific ocular abnormalities, severity and duration of vitiligo.