Demographics and Clinical Characteristics among Patients with Distinct Psychosocial Burden Profiles Related to Vitiligo: Results of a Latent Class Analysis

Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2025 Apr 10. doi: 10.1007/s13555-025-01401-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Vitiligo may negatively impact quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to classify patients on the basis of the impact of vitiligo on emotional/psychological and social functioning and describe patient characteristics and patient-reported outcome (PRO) responses for each profile.

METHODS: Physician and patient surveys from the Vitiligo Disease Specific Programme in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the USA were analyzed. PROs were assessed using the Vitiligo Patient Priority Outcomes (ViPPO), Work Productivity Activity Index-Vitiligo, Vitiligo-Specific Quality-of-Life instrument, 5-level EuroQol 5-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaires. Latent class analysis identified distinct classes on the basis of ViPPO response options.

RESULTS: A three-class model was selected. Of 530 patients, 64.2%, 24.3%, and 11.5% were grouped into classes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Class 3 reported the most emotional/psychological and social functioning impact; classes 1 and 2 reported mild and moderate impact, respectively. More patients in classes 1 and 2 had moderate physician-assessed disease; class 3 had a higher proportion of patients with moderate-to-severe disease; however, approximately one third had limited/mild physician-reported disease. Class 3 had the highest mean body surface area involvement and proportion of patients with face involvement (n = 30 [49.2%]). Across all 4 PRO measures, class 3 reported more severe impacts.

CONCLUSIONS: Generally, classes with more severe impacts had more severe physician-assessed disease and lesion involvement and greater work productivity and QOL impairment. Although patients in class 3 had severe psychosocial burden, a large proportion had mild physician-reported disease severity, suggesting that only physical symptoms were considered when assessing disease severity.

PMID:40208558 | DOI:10.1007/s13555-025-01401-6