Evaluation of the Risk of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Vitiligo Patients by Measuring Carotid Artery Intima Media Thickness via Ultrasonography

Öz

Objective: Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of melanocytes. It is often associated with other autoimmune diseases and systemic metabolic disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in vitiligo patients. Material and Method: In this prospective study, 70 vitiligo patients and 70 healthy control subjects, who were over the age of 18 years and without cardiovascular disease risk factors, underwent carotid artery ultrasonography, between 2022 and 2023. Carotid artery intima-media thickness which is an indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis was measured bilaterally. Vitiligo patients were grouped according to the presence of vitiligo vulgaris, acrofacial disease, focal vitiligo, family history, duration of disease, and age of the patient at disease onset. Results: The mean carotid artery intima-media thickness in vitiligo patients was significantly greater than healthy controls (p<0.001). In particular, intima-media thickness was greatest in vitiligo patients with a disease duration less than one year, but this difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in vitiligo patients with the carotid artery ultrasonography, which is a radiation free, inexpensive imaging method. There are few studies on the risk of cardiovascular diseases in vitiligo patients. The main difference of our study is that we excluded the subjects with any risk factors for cardiovascular diseases to identify the vitiligo as an independent risk factor for subclinical atherosclerosis and therefore cardiovascular diseases. At this point, we think that our study makes an important contribution to the literature.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Atherosclerosis
• carotid artery
• intima media
• ultrasonography
• vitiligo

Vitiligo Hastalarında Ultrasonografi ile Karotis Arter İntima Media Kalınlığının Ölçülerek Subklinik Ateroskleroz Riskinin Değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Amaç: Vitiligo, melanositlerin yıkımı ile karakterize otoimmün bir hastalıktır. Genellikle diğer otoimmün hastalıklar ve sistemik metabolik bozukluklarla birlikte görülür. Bu çalışmada vitiligoda artmış subklinik ateroskleroz riskinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu prospektif çalışmada, 18 yaş üstü, kardiyovasküler hastalık risk faktörü olmayan 70 vitiligo hastası ve 70 sağlıklı kontrole 2022-2023 yılları arasında karotis arter ultrasonografisi uygulandı. Subklinik aterosklerozun bir göstergesi olan karotis arter intima-media kalınlığı bilateral olarak ölçüldü. Vitiligo hastaları vitiligo vulgaris varlığı, akrofasiyal hastalık, fokal vitiligo, aile öyküsü, hastalık süresi ve hastalığın başlangıç yaşına göre gruplandırıldı. Bulgular: Vitiligo hastalarında ortalama karotis arter intima-media kalınlığı sağlıklı kontrol grubu ile karşılaştırıldığında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede yüksekti (p<0.001). Özellikle hastalık süresi bir yıldan az olan vitiligo hastalarında intima-media kalınlığı en yüksekti, ancak istatistiksel olarak anlamlı değildi (p>0.05). Sonuç: Bu çalışma, radyasyon içermeyen düşük maliyetli bir görüntüleme yöntemi olan karotis arter ultrasonografisi ile vitiligo hastalarında subklinik ateroskleroz riskini ortaya koymaktadır. Vitiligoda kardiyovasküler hastalık riski ile ilgili az sayıda çalışma bulunmaktadır. Çalışmamızın temel farkı ise kardiyovasküler hastalıklar için risk faktörleri olan bireylerin çalışmaya dahil edilmeyerek, subklinik ateroskleroz ve dolayısıyla kardiyovasküler hastalıklar için vitiligonun bağımsız bir risk faktörü olarak ortaya konmasıdır. Bu noktada çalışmamızın literatüre önemli katkı sağladığını düşünmekteyiz.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ateroskleroz
• intima media
• karotis arter
• ultrasonografi
• vitiligo

Kaynakça

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