Study Finds No Vision Issues in Children With Vitiligo

TOPLINE:

A study found no significant association between pediatric vitiligo and visual acuity deficits, suggesting that routine vision screening may not be necessary for this population.

METHODOLOGY:

Researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of 248 children with vitiligo (mean age, 8.8 years) in outpatient dermatology clinics between 2000 and 2023.
Patients were compared with 496 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
The primary outcome was passing a visual acuity test. For children older than 5 years, a visual acuity of 20/20, 20/15, or 20/16 was considered passing. For children aged 5, 4, and 3 years, passing scores were 20/30 or better, 20/40 or better, and 20/50 or better, respectively. The patient was considered to have failed testing if either eye failed the test.

TAKEAWAY:

The children with vitiligo showed a slightly higher failure rate in visual acuity tests than control individuals (47% vs 44%; P = .0476).
After adjusting for family history and genetic diagnoses, this association was no longer significant (P = .443).
Family history of vision loss (odds ratio [OR], 2.35; P = .003) and genetic diagnosis (OR, 4.95; P = .004) were associated with visual acuity deficits.
Other factors, such as the presence of segmental vs nonsegmental vitiligo or facial involvement, did not influence visual acuity outcomes.

IN PRACTICE:

“Our findings align with existing literature that vitiligo is not associated with visual acuity deficits but do not rule out the possibility of more subtle subclinical effects on the retina,” wrote the authors of the study. “Further research is necessary to guide screening and clinical management for this population,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Kristin Tissera, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and was published online on February 20 in Pediatric Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study limitations included the retrospective design and reliance on medical records. Patients who underwent vision testing outside of the participating institutions were not included. The researchers also noted limited data availability regarding family history of vitiligo.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the Society for Pediatric Dermatology/Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance and a Shore grant. Two authors declared being advisors and consultants with various pharmaceutical companies.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.