Economic Burden and Treatment Patterns Among Patients Diagnosed With Vitiligo in Japan: An Observational Retrospective Cohort Study

Vitiligo, a common and chronic depigmentation disorder, significantly impacts patients' quality of life and exerts a substantial economic burden. The deleterious impact of vitiligo can be exacerbated by comorbid conditions, including psychiatric and autoimmune conditions. Treatment may vary across geographic regions, and there is sparse evidence of treatment patterns for vitiligo in Japan. Evaluations of healthcare costs are also needed to help underline unmet needs, including data on the influence of comorbid conditions on costs. Here we report results of a retrospective cohort analysis using claims data from the Japan Medical Data Center database to evaluate the economic burden and treatment patterns among patients with vitiligo in Japan. Primary study outcomes were costs and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) 12 months post-index (diagnosis date) for patients with vitiligo versus matched controls, based on inpatient, outpatient, and pharmacy claims. In total, 28 800 patients were included (4800 in the vitiligo cohort; 24 000 matched controls). Patients with vitiligo had significantly greater all-cause healthcare costs (¥84 766 vs. ¥55 011, p < 0.0001) and HCRU than matched controls, primarily driven by outpatient, dermatology-, and vitiligo-related procedure costs. In patients with vitiligo, comorbid psychiatric and autoimmune conditions significantly increased all-cause healthcare costs versus no comorbid condition (¥193 468 vs. ¥78 313 and ¥185 179 vs. ¥77 184, respectively; both p < 0.0001). Most patients (67.5%) did not receive treatment for vitiligo in the 12 months following diagnosis. Of those who did, 76.0% received only phototherapy. Only 2.2% received second-line treatment. Overall, Japanese patients with vitiligo face substantially higher healthcare costs and resource utilization than those without vitiligo, with burden further increased by psychiatric and autoimmune comorbidities; notably, most remained untreated in the year after diagnosis, and treated patients primarily received phototherapy.