A small study revealed that vitiligo patients are at a higher risk of developing dry eye syndrome. This study echoes previous studies which found a higher prevalence of ocular issues among vitiligo patients.
This most recent study involved 61 vitiligo patients and 57 control individuals. Several vision tests were conducted including the Schirmer test. The Schirmer test analyzes whether the eyes produce enough tears. What researchers found was that the vitiligo patients produced markedly less tears than the control group.
Ocular issues were discovered in 19 percent of the vitiligo patients and these patients had vitiligo for a longer period of time. Researchers also noted that ocular problems were more prevalent in patients who had a family history of vitiligo. Researchers stressed that vitiligo patients or patients with a family history of vitiligo should be screened early for ocular problems.*