• Saadia Tabassum, Atiya Rahman, Rabia Ghafoor, Qamaruddin Khan, Najia Ahmed, Tazein Amber, Nadia Iftikhar, Bazil Musharraf, Nadia Ali Azfar, Uzma Bashir, Zartash Arshad, and Safia Awan.
• Department of Dermatology, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
• J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2023 May 1; 33 (5): 521526521-526.

ObjectiveTo ascertain the quality of life (QoL) impairment among the Pakistani population with vitiligo and to determine the relationship between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.Study DesignCross-sectional study. Place and Duration of the Study: Dermatology Outpatients at the Aga Khan University in collaboration with outpatients of seven tertiary care hospitals of Sindh, Punjab, KPK, Balochistan, and AJK to collect data from March 2015 to April 2019.MethodologyAll clinically diagnosed patients of vitiligo, who signed consent and assent forms, were included in the study. A validated 25-item, QoL scale for vitiligo was used. Socio-economic status of the patients, clinical assessment of the disease and patients' engagement in social and domestic lives was noted.ResultsFive hundred and seventy-three patients were enrolled in the study, having mean age 29.8 ± 16.2 years. In 306 (53.4%) males and 267 (46.65%) females; 21.8% were below 18 years. Mean vitiligo QoL index was 38.4 ± 11.8. Patients of vitiligo with disease duration 5-10 years, those affected on exposed parts, more than five body sites, rapidly progressing disease and of female gender had a higher impairment of quality of life. These scores were found significantly higher as compared to other levels of these parameters (p<0.05).ConclusionPatients with vitiligo experience low self-esteem. The disease adversely affects their quality of life. The authors recommend the use of disease-specific instruments to assess the quality of life which enables the treating physician to devise best possible management plan individually.Key WordsVitiligo, Quality of life, Pakistan, Vitiligo life quality index.

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