Sir,
This is in response to the letter to the editor regarding less number of control against patients of Vitiligo in reference to the article “quality of life (QOL) and psychological morbidity in vitiligo patients: A study in a teaching hospital from North-East India” in Indian J Dermatology 2015; 60:142-6.
We thank the esteemed reader for his interest in our study and for the valuable opinion. I would like to clarify here that in the original study, we had selected 100 controls against 100 cases. The age and sex were grossly matched. As per our protocol Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) Questionnaire was filled up on the first visit and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression 17 (HAMD 17) questionnaire was filled up on second visit for convenience of the patient and control. Only 59 controls reported the second time for filling up of HAMD 17 questionnaire (probably because some of the control had a minor skin problem, and they did not report 2nd time). We selected 50 controls out of 59 matching the age and sex with the patient group as shown in the Tables 1 and 2. Because of the word constrain, we could not give the details of the control in our original article. The statistical significance was calculated using independent sample t-test. There was no statistically significant variation in QOL and depression level in different age group among the patients and controls. However, female patients had higher DLQI and HAMD score compared to males (P < 0.05) whereas, the control group did not show such change. Though the unequal number of case and control might have reduced the power of the study, we humbly wanted to present our that significant impairment of QOL and depression is associated with vitiligo as compared with controlled group, as observed in our study.
Table 1.
Age and sex distribution of patients
Table 2.
Age and sex distribution of control
Acknowledgments
We are thankful to our patients and their attendants, faculties and residents, nursing staff and paramedical workers of Department of Dermatology for their cooperation in various aspects of this work. Mr. Dilip Pathak, a higher dealing assistant in dermatology office and sister in charge Mrs. Anjali Nath for assistance in the translation of Dermatology Life Quality Index and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale questionnaire. Mr. Niranjan Bhagobati for statistical support doctors and paramedical workers and attendants of patients for cooperating as controls.
