Quality of Life Assessment Scales in Vitiligo: A Comparative Study in a Tertiary Hospital in Benin City, Nigeria.

Background: Vitiligo is an acquired pigmentary disorder with significance among dark skinned individuals.

Objective: The objective of this study is to correlate the Vitiligo Impact Scale with the DLQI as tools in assessing patients with vitiligo in Benin City, Nigeria.

Materials And Methods: This was a cross sectional analytical study among adult vitiligo patients who attended the dermatology clinic between February, 2018 and June, 2019. Both patients and controls were recruited consecutively. Data was obtained using a three-section interviewer administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using uni, bivariate analysis and the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results: A total of 80 patients were recruited, 40 each for study group and control. The mean age of the study group was 38.43 ±12.94 while the control was 37.25±13.31. The DLQI mean score for the vitiligo group was 3.65±5.57, while the control group was 0.35 ±1.10 (p = 0.001). The mean VIS-22 scale was 12.00±9.89 for the vitiligo patients. The DLQI identified about half (52.5%) of the vitiligo patients with impaired Qol while the VIS-22 identified 70% of vitiligo patients with impaired Qol. The most affected domains were feelings and symptoms for DLQI and anxiety for VIS-22. Both scales indicated significant impact on QoL in patients with involvement of exposed aspects of the body. There is a strong positive correlation between DLQI and Vis-22.

Conclusion: The vitiligo Impact Scale VIS-22 identified more persons with impaired QoL than DLQI.