Vitiligo: a demographic survey

A series of 430 cases of vitiligo, seen from 1959-1974, one of the largest series reported in the literature, is presented. Two-thirds of the cases were females, and half were children up to the age of 20 (the youngest was 7 mth old). Most of these were in the 7-12 yr age group. There were more than twice as many patients of Middle Eastern origin than of European or American origin (250 vs 104) and there was an excess of patients from certain countries (Yemen - 68 cases; Morocco - 42 cases; Iraq - 21 cases), markedly out of proportion to their distribution in the general population. These data support the suggestion that this disease is due to an autoimmune reaction inherited in a dominant autosomal pattern. The collection of additional demographic data may contribute to the further understanding of the etiology and distribution of this disorder.