Quality of life of adult patients with vitiligo at a tertiary health care centre in Nigeria

Background/Objectives: Vitiligo is a depigmentary skin disorder which occurs worldwide due to the loss of melanocytes in the skin of affected persons. People living with vitiligo can have psychological disturbances and impaired Quality of Life (QOL) as a result of the cutaneous disorder. The aim of the study is to determine the effect of vitiligo on the Quality of Life (QOL) of affected patients using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and to ascertain the exact domains affected. Methods: The QOL assessment was done using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire which was administered to patients and controls. All consecutive adult patients with vitiligo attending the Dermatology clinics of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife (OAUTHC Ile-Ife) who gave consent were recruited. A control group, matched for age and sex, was recruited from consenting individuals attending the General Out Patients’ Clinic of the same hospital who did not have vitiligo or any other cutaneous disorder. Results: The total DLQI scores were significantly higher for patients (range: 2- 13) than for controls (range: 0 - 1) and the total mean score for the patients (6.12 ± 2.90) was also higher than the total mean score for the controls (0.32 ± 0.47). The patients with vitiligo had a significant impairment in their self-esteem, daily activities and leisure when compared with the controls. The study also showed that vitiligo patients with extensive disease had impairment in their daily activities when compared with those who had limited disease. Conclusion: This study highlights the fact that patients living with vitiligo have impaired QOL. It is thus pertinent to identify the psychological challenges that vitiligo patients are faced with and offer psychotherapy in addition to treatment of the primary disorder.