title: What patients with vitiligo believe about their condition.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitiligo is a common disease with an unknown etiology. It is a chronic disease which causes severe disfigurement, and so may significantly affect a patient's quality of life. This study was designed to evaluate the illness perception and quality of life in patients with vitiligo.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire consisting of 25 questions on the causes, timeline, consequences, and control of disease was given to 80 patients with vitiligo attending a private skin clinic in Tehran, Iran, in 1999. The roles of age, sex, duration of disease, education, extent of disease, and family history of vitiligo were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty patients (22 males and 57 females, one not mentioned), with a mean age of 30 years (SD = 11 years) and a disease duration of 7.1 years (SD = 7.8 years), completed the questionnaire; 62.5% of the patients believed that stress played a role in their disease; 31.3% believed that their genetic background played a role in their disease, more so in patients with a positive family history of vitiligo. Almost one-half of patients believed that their illness had major consequences on their lives. One-half of patients believed that their illness was likely to be permanent rather than temporary, more so in patients with a longer duration of disease and a higher level of education. Only 60% of patients considered that their treatments were effective.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitiligo may considerably affect various aspects of patients' lives. The knowledge of patients about the causes and course of their disease is limited.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. alifiruz@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Firooz
authors.forename: Navid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bouzari
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fallah
authors.forename: Behnaz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ghazisaidi
authors.forename: Mehdi Rashighi
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Firoozabadi
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dowlati
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000523:psychology*