Is vitiligo more common in patients with darker skin?

Vitiligo is a common disorder, affecting 1% to 2% of the world’s population. There is no clear racial predisposition for vitiligo; however, the condition is more readily apparent in darker skin. Consequently, people with darker skin types may seek medical attention or manifest with more cosmetically debilitating disease. Also, the tendency for familial inheritance of vitiligo must be considered when conducting prevalence studies. In some societies, particularly Indian culture, there is a social stigma associated with vitiligo that pertains to a historic overlap with the appearance of cutaneous leprosy. In these cultures, patients with the condition, especially young women, may be considered “unfit for marriage,” and the sociodynamic aspects of vitiligo must always be carefully considered by the clinician.

Shah H, Mehta A, Astik B: Clinical and sociodemographic study of vitiligo, Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 74:701, 2008.

Nordlund JJ: The epidemiology and genetics of vitiligo, Clin Dermatol 15:875–878, 1997.