Abstract
Objective: To determine the hospital-based prevalence of vitiligo and describe the demographic and clinical characteristics, associated conditions, and treatment practices among patients attending a dermatology outpatient clinic in Al-Baha Province, Saudi Arabia.
Methodology: This prospective descriptive cross-sectional study included all patients with clinically diagnosed vitiligo attending a referral dermatology clinic from December 2024 to November 2025. Diagnosis was based on clinical history and physical examination, with Wood’s lamp assessment conducted when required. Demographic, family history, comorbidities, clinical patterns, and treatment data were collected prospectively. Hospital-based prevalence was reported with a Wilson 95% confidence interval. Categorical data were summarized; clinical types were compared across age groups using Monte Carlo chi-square testing.
Results: Among 10,516 dermatology outpatients, 153 had vitiligo, corresponding to a hospital-based prevalence of 1.45% (95% confidence interval, 1.24-1.70%). The mean age was 18.9 years, with 103 patients (67.3%) younger than 20 years. Males accounted for 92 cases (60.1%). A positive family history was reported by 30 patients (19.6%), and 22 (14.4%) had an autoimmune or endocrine disorder, most commonly hypothyroidism or diabetes mellitus. Vitiligo vulgaris was the most frequent type (106; 69.3%), followed by acrofacial vitiligo (22; 14.4%). Combined treatment was common.
Conclusions: In this hospital-based sample, vitiligo prevalence was 1.45%, most patients were younger than 20 years, male patients predominated over female patients, and vitiligo vulgaris predominated. These findings support age-appropriate counseling, targeted assessment for associated disorders, and individualized treatment planning.

Key words: Epidemiology, prevalence, Saudi Arabia, vitiligo.