Enhancement of surgically repigmented vitiligo by narrow-band ultraviolet B phototherapy

ABSTRACT

Various surgical techniques and modifications have been described to treat recalcitrant but stable vitiligo with satisfactory results in terms of degree of repigmentation and color match. The minigrafting technique is relatively simple and can be carried out as an outpatient clinic procedure. Although minigrafting can be an effective treatment in vitiligo, failure to achieve complete repigmentation in a high percentage of patients remains a major drawback. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of postoperative UV-B supplementation to surgically repigmented vitiligo patches. The study included 20 patients with localized non-progressive vitiligo not responding to medical treatment or phototherapy. Patients were subdivided randomly into two groups [I, II] each including 10 patients. Patients in group I were treated by minigrafting only, while group II patients were treated by minigrafting followed by narrow band- UVB phototherapy. The current study showed that the combination of the surgical treatment [minigrafting] with the phototherapy [NB-UVB] was more effective in repigmenting focal and segmental stable vitiligo than treating it only surgically. The study recommends the use of narrow-band UVB as an adjuvant therapy after surgical repigmentation of vitiligo