The Differences in Repigmentation Rate Based on Location and Duration of Vitiligo Treatment in Pediatric Patients at Dermatology Venereology Outpatient Clinic of Dr. Moewardi Hospital

Abstract

Background: Vitiligo is an acquired skin depigmentation disorder, mainly affecting children. It presents as a milky white macule or patch affecting one or several body areas. Due to the lack of consensus in treating vitiligo, the treatment still depends on the patient's clinical appearance and dermatologist's consideration. Objectives: This study aims to determine the differences in repigmentation rate based on location and duration of vitiligo treatment with the hope of providing a more efficient and targeted therapy plan in the future. Methods: This study used an observational analytical method with a prospective cohort approach in pediatric patients visiting the Dermatology and Venereology outpatient clinic of Dr. Moewardi Hospital in the period January 2023 to December 2024. The data were then tested using the Kruskall-Wallis and ANOVA test to compare variables with a significance level set at p <0.05. Results: There were a total of 38 pediatric patients diagnosed with vitiligo, only 17 of whom met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of the subjects was 11.06 ± 3.96 years. Most of the samples were girls (58.8%). The average initial variance was 2.59 and the final variance was 0.80, thus the variance difference was 1.78 or overall repigmentation of 71.06%. The highest repigmentation rate was found in the trunk region (47,1%), followed by the face and neck (41,2%) and the palms and feet region (11,8%). There was a significant difference in the repigmentation rate between the trunk region and the palms and feet (p = 0.036). The duration of therapy did not show a significant difference with a p value of 0.850 (p> 0.05). Conclusion: There is a significant difference in the repigmentation rate between the trunk and palms and soles. The duration of therapy and the level of repigmentation are not significant.