Studies on vitiligo. I. Epidemiological profile in Calcutta, India.

An epidemiological profile of vitiligo in Calcutta is presented. Prevalence data were gathered from 15,685 individuals drawn from the general population; pedigree data were collected through 293 vitiligo patients. The overall prevalence of vitiligo is about 5 per 1,000 individuals. There are no significant sex or age differences in prevalence rates. About a 4.5-fold increase in prevalence is observed among close biological relatives of affected individuals. There is, however, no clearcut correspondence between relative risks and kinship coefficients. There are no significant differences in the frequencies of various types of vitiligo between probands with and without positive family history. The overall mean and modal ages of onset are about 22 years and 15 years, respectively. The mean ages among males (24.8 years) and females (19.3 years) are significantly different.