Evaluation between Association of Psoriasis and Vitiligo

Abstract

Background Although the occurrence of psoriasis and vitiligo is reported in a few studies, no proper relationship has been found between these two diseases. Objective The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of the coincidence of these two diseases. Method A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on 6,200 patients referred to dermatology clinics from September 2004 to June 2005. Results Among these patients, 219 and 154 patients suffered from psoriasis (3.53%) and vitiligo (2.48%), respectively, and 12 patients (0.19%) had psoriasis and vitiligo simultaneously. The coincidence in the psoriasis group was 5.48% and in the vitiligo group was 7.79%, so the coincidence of both diseases was greater than the incidence of each alone. This association was significant ( p = .004). Conclusion Coincidence of these two diseases was seen, but more studies should be done to find common genetic and immunologic factors.