Response to narrow-band UVB--vitiligo-melasma versus vitiligo: a comparative study.

Type:Uv phototherapy Time:2014-12-12 15:31:12

Sharma P1, Pai HS, Pai GS, Kuruvila M, Kolar R.

Author information

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Vitiligo is the most common depigmentary disorder of the skin and hair, resulting from selective destruction of melanocytes.

Melasma, a hyperpigmentary disorder, presents as irregular, brown, macular hypermelanosis. A small subset of vitiligo

patients paradoxically also have melasma.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate and compare the response to narrow-band UVB in a group of patients with vitiligo, and another group of patients

with vitiligo and coexisting melasma (vitiligo-melasma).

METHODS:

Patients in both groups were treated with narrow-band UVB and a comparison of the zonal repigmentation was made at 4, 8, and

12 weeks after the initiation of therapy.

RESULTS:

At the end of 12 weeks, 86% of patients in the vitiligo-melasma group attained ��75% pigmentation on the face, whereas this

was achieved in only 12.5% of patients in the vitiligo group. Over the limbs, 73% of patients in the vitiligo-melasma group

attained 75% or more pigmentation at the end of 12 weeks compared with only 9% in the vitiligo group. On the trunk, only 20%

of vitiligo-melasma patients showed ��75% pigmentation at 12 weeks compared with 63% of patients in the vitiligo group.

CONCLUSION:

Patients having both vitiligo and melasma have a significantly better prognosis for repigmentation on the face and limbs with

narrow-band UVB compared with patients with vitiligo alone; the vitiligo-melasma patients achieve repigmentation much earlier

and also attain a greater level of repigmentation. Unexpectedly, for truncal lesions, patients with vitiligo alone responded

better than those with both conditions. Although the vitiligo-melasma group with truncal lesions started repigmenting

earlier, the final pigmentation was more extensive in the vitiligo group.

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