Epidemiology of vitiligo in the French West Indies (Isle of Martinique)

Background The frequency of vitiligo in white populations has been generall y estimated to be about 0.5-1%. The same prevalence is expected in black po pulations, despite the few investigations reported. No studies have been pe rformed in black populations living in the Caribbean Islands. Therefore, ou r purpose was to report an epidemiologic study of vitiligo in the French We st Indies (Isle of Martinique). Methods We performed a prospective study between October 1995 and March 199 6; 2077 outpatients of the Department of Dermatology at the Fort de France University Hospital were examined to detect vitiligo. Concurrently, 32 pati ents (23 women and nine men), presenting with vitiligo, were questioned abo ut their family history, personal diseases, age, and circumstances of vitil igo occurrence. Results Vitiligo was found in seven patients (five women and two men) out o f 2077. The prevalence in the studied population was 0.34%. Of the 32 patie nts with vitiligo who were investigated, 11 (34%) had a family history of v itiligo, two (6%) suffered from thyroid disease, two (6%) from psoriasis, a nd one (3%) from atopic dermatitis. The median age at vitiligo onset was 29 years. Conclusions Despite the bias due to the recruitment of patients in the Derm atology Department, this study demonstrates a prevalence in a black populat ion comparable, or slightly inferior, to the currently accepted data in whi te people. Our results concerning the age of onset and pathologic associati ons showed no difference with the literature data related to white populati ons.