RESUMO
Vitiligo is a common, acquired, often familial melanocytopenic disorder with focal depigmentation of skin; there are several new treatments which appear to have a higher success rate than previous therapies. There are nuances in the treatment of patients with vitiligo which are not easy to list. Common therapeutic options include phototherapy with psoralens and topically applied steroids with or without PUVA. Those who have tried PUVA without success should quit and look for other treatment options like narrow band ultraviolet B [NBUVB] which has recently been reported to be effective therapy for vitiligo, the only clinical parameter that could differentiate non-responders from responders is previous exposure to PUVA. More recently lasers, vitamin D analogues, tacrolimus and skin grafting have been shown to play some role in the treatments of patients with larger lesions. Targeted phototherapy with single wavelength laser light has proved to be effective and time-efficient therapeutic option for the management of vitiligo. Surgical techniques intend to re-pigment the skin and are an interesting therapeutic option. At this time the exact cause of vitiligo is still unknown, various treatment modalities are available but there is no single cure. The purpose of this review is to describe the different treatment modalities available currently