| Description |
- Background:
Prior studies have investigated the association between vitiligo and sensorineural hearing loss in adults, with the knowledge that melanocytes are involved in the auditory system. While there are conflicting data regarding this association, current recommendations support of early and routine monitoring of auditory function as a precaution. Based on this potential association and the presence of melanocytes in the visual system, we aimed to investigate the association of pediatric vitiligo with sensorineural hearing loss and visual acuity deficits. Associations between these conditions and pediatric vitiligo are likely to lead to important developmental interventions.
Methods:
This was conducted as an IRB-approved multi-center retrospective analysis of pure tone audiometry, otoacoustic emission testing, and optotype recognition of 352 pediatric vitiligo patients compared 704 to age- and sex-matched healthy subjects at three institutions between 2000 and 2023.
Results:
Analysis revealed that vitiligo patients display a lower percentage of normal hearing compared to controls. In vision testing, vitiligo patients demonstrate a significantly lower need for corrective lenses compared to controls. Subgroup comparisons within vitiligo patients based on segmental/non-segmental and facial/non-facial involvement show no significant differences in various parameters.
Conclusions:
Our results highlight potentially more prevalent hearing deficits in pediatric vitiligo patients. Pediatric vitiligo patients may benefit from early and/or regular screening examination and intervention, as hearing and vision are critical for speech, language, and social development. We did not identify an association between pediatric vitiligo and visual deficit, though further investigation is needed.
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