Survey Data Highlight Need for Continued Education on Vitiligo

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Health care professionals (HCPs) need continued education regarding diagnosis and management of vitiligo, according to a study published online Oct. 28 in Dermatology and Therapy.Khaled Ezzedine, M.D., Ph.D., from Henri Mondor University Hospital in Paris, and colleagues examined vitiligo diagnostic and management approaches among HCPs who regularly treat patients with vitiligo. In a cross-sectional, multinational survey, the researchers recruited 1,203 HCPs practicing in dermatology, primary medicine, or internal medicine (91.4 percent dermatologists).The researchers found that 62.3 percent of HCPs self-reported being vitiligo specialists and rarely or never made referrals; 82.2 percent of the 454 nonspecialist HCPs attempted treating patients before referring them to vitiligo specialists. Overall, 74.1 percent of HCPs diagnosed vitiligo by examining lesions, while only 42.3 percent used Wood's lamp to support examination. Topical therapies; light, laser, or phototherapy; and oral medications were the treatment modalities most commonly prescribed by HCPs (91.4, 65.7, and 53.8 percent, respectively). Only 14.4, 9.6, and 4.4 percent of the HCPs who reported prescribing topical, light, and oral treatments, respectively, at least sometimes waited more than six months to determine treatment outcome, while 45.5, 49.8, and 69.9 percent waited three months or less. Most (60.8 percent) HCPs reported advising patients to take a drug holiday, most often due to lack of response to treatment (32.5 percent)."Findings underscore the need for continued education of HCPs regarding vitiligo management, supplemented with rapid referral or consultation with vitiligo specialists for optimal care," the authors write. "Because repigmentation is a lengthy process, prolonged and persistent treatment (for at least six months) is essential to support optimal outcomes of this chronic autoimmune disease."Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Survey Data Highlight Need for Continued Education on Vitiligo

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