New study links atopic dermatitis with vitiligo

Nepal: Results from a recent review have supported an association between atopic dermatitis (AD) and vitiligo.

The study, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, suggests that exploring the possible mechanism behind this association could be significant in developing proper treatment approaches for the affected patients.

Atopic dermatitis or eczema is a chronic condition of the skin characterized by itchy and red skin. It's common in children but can occur at any age. Atopic Dermatitis is long-lasting and tends to flare periodically. It may be accompanied by asthma or hay fever.

Vitiligo is a common autoimmune disease that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. It affects about 0.5% to 1% of the population and is associated with low self-esteem and social stigma.

AD is associated with multiple immune‐mediated disorders. A comprehensive meta‐analysis assessing the prevalence or risk of vitiligo in AD patients is lacking. Prakash Acharya and Mahesh Mathur from the College of Medical Sciences, Bharatpur, Nepal, conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies to compare the prevalence and assess the risk of vitiligo in patients with AD by performing a meta‐analysis of observational studies.

The study included data from seven studies with 1,540,688 unique AD patients.

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Key findings of the study include:

• The random‐effects meta‐analysis of case‐control and cross‐sectional studies showed a significant association of AD with vitiligo (OR, 3.21).


• Subgroup analyses also showed a significant association for both adult AD (OR, 4.46) and childhood AD (OR, 2.83).


• The pooling of the results of 2 cohort studies showed an increased risk of vitiligo in patients with AD (RR, 1.64).

"This knowledge could be important for early detection of the affected group so that timely management can be initiated and psychosocial impacts associated with these conditions can be properly addressed," wrote the authors.

The study, "Association of atopic dermatitis with vitiligo: A systematic review and meta‐analysis," is published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.13263