Increased retinal detachment risk observed among vitiligo patients: Study

Vitiligo is a condition characterized by the loss of skin pigment and has long been known to be associated majorly with various ocular abnormalities. A recent study from Taiwan explored a concerning association between vitiligo and retinal detachment (RD). The key findings of this studywere published in the journal of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology.

The study was conducted as a nationwide population-based cohort study in Taiwan that analyzed data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database from 2007 to 2018. This study identified a cohort of 21,132 vitiligo patients and matched them in a 1:4 ratio with non-vitiligo patients based on age, sex and propensity score of comorbidities.

The findings of the study were;

The vitiligo cohort expressed a significantly higher rate of retinal detachment when compared to the non-vitiligo cohort. After adjusting for various factors, including age, sex and comorbidities, the research found that vitiligo patients underwent a 1.44-fold increased risk of retinal detachment.

Also, the vitiligo patients who required treatments such as phototherapy, systemic corticosteroids or immunosuppressants showed an even greater risk, with a marked 1.57-fold increase in retinal detachment risk.