Abstract

Vitiligo is a common skin disorder, yet its association with allergic diseases remains understudied.  This study aimed to characterize the clinical features of vitiligo patients with concomitant allergic diseases in Yunnan Province, China.  We retrospectively analyzed demographic data, family history, environmental factors, and triggering events of 1,450 vitiligo patients treated at a dermatology clinic between January 2018 and January 2022.  Among them, 215 patients (14.83%) presented with systemic diseases, with allergic conditions accounting for 34.42% (74 cases) of this subgroup.  Notably, atopic dermatitis (AD) was the most prevalent allergic disease, comprising 43.24% (32 cases).  Patients with allergic diseases exhibited distinct characteristics: a peak onset age of 10–20 years (46.78%), a higher prevalence in females (81.08%), a significant family history of vitiligo (72.97%), and predominantly non-segmental vitiligo (89.19%).  They frequently presented in the progressive stage (78.38%), with initial lesions on the head, neck (51.35%), or acral areas (31.08%), and reported exacerbation in spring (47.30%).  Common triggers included chronic sun exposure (45.00%) and psychological stress (45.00%), and most resided at high altitudes (90.54%).  Additionally, patients with AD demonstrated significant predilection for head and neck involvement (78.13%) and spring exacerbation (68.15%).  These findings underscore the high prevalence of allergic comorbidities, particularly AD, among vitiligo patients in this region.  Identifying features such as spring exacerbation, head and neck involvement, and sun exposure history may inform targeted strategies to prevent disease progression and recurrence.