A recent study has revealed that children with vitiligo face a significantly higher risk of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and mixed hearing loss compared to their peers without the condition. However, the study found no significant link between vitiligo and ocular disorders.
The study, which analyzed data from 89 healthcare organizations across the United States, included 21,833 pediatric patients diagnosed with vitiligo. The children had an average age of 9.6 years, with an equal distribution of boys and girls. This group was compared with an equal number of matched children who did not have vitiligo. Demographically, nearly 45% of participants were White, 27% were Hispanic or Latino, 14% were Black, and 6.6% were Asian. The research examined both hearing loss and ocular conditions as primary outcomes.
The results highlighted that children with vitiligo had a higher risk for both SNHL and mixed hearing loss. The hazard ratio for SNHL was found to be 1.86 (95% CI, 1.38-2.51), and for mixed hearing loss, it was 2.10 (95% CI, 1.29-3.44), suggesting a notable difference in hearing health between children with vitiligo and those without. No significant difference was observed in cases of conductive hearing loss between the two groups.
Moreover, the risk of SNHL increased over time. After one year of follow-up, the risk of SNHL was more than doubled, with a hazard ratio of 2.03 (95% CI, 1.21-3.41) for a follow-up period of 1-3 years. The risk further elevated to 2.56 (95% CI, 1.55-4.22) after more than three years. The risk for mixed hearing loss was particularly higher in the first year, with a hazard ratio of 4.87 (95% CI, 1.65-14.4).
The study underscores the importance of monitoring hearing health in children with vitiligo, particularly as they age, although it did not find any correlation between vitiligo and eye-related conditions.
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