Vitiligo medical therapy
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Medical Therapy
There are a number of ways to alter the appearance of vitiligo without addressing its underlying cause. In mild cases, vitiligo patches can be hidden with makeup or other cosmetic camouflage solutions. If the affected person is pale-skinned, the patches can be made less visible by avoiding sunlight and the sun tanning of unaffected skin. However, exposure to sunlight may also cause the melanocytes to regenerate to allow the pigmentation to come back to its original color.
The traditional treatment given by most dermatologists is corticosteroid cream.[1]
Phototherapy may also beneficial using exposure to long-wave ultraviolet (UVA) light from the sun or from UVA, together with Psoralen, called "PUVA", Or with UVB Narrowband lamps (without Psoralen), can help in many cases. Psoralen can be taken in a pill 1-2 hours before the exposure or as a Psoralen soaking of the area 1/2 hour before the exposure. Lately, PUVA is being more and more replaced with exposure UVB Narrowband light at a wavelength of 311-313 nanometers. This treatment does not involve Psoralen since the effect of the lamp is strong enough. The source for the UVB Narrowband UVB light can be special fluorecent lamps that treat large area in few minutes, or high power fiber-optic devices in a fraction of a second.
Studies have also shown that immunomodulator creams such as Protopic and Elidel also cause repigmentation in some cases, when used with UVB Narrowband treatments.[2][3]
Alternatively, some people with vitiligo opt for chemical depigmentation, which uses 20% monobenzylether of hydroquinone. This process is irreversible and generally ends up with complete or mostly complete depigmentation.
In late October of 2004, doctors successfully transplanted melanocytes to vitiligo affected areas, effectively repigmenting the region. The procedure involved taking a thin layer of pigmented skin from the patient's gluteal region. Melanocytes were then separated out and used to make a cellular suspension. The area to be treated was then ablated with a medical laser, and the melanocyte graft applied. Three weeks later, the area was exposed to UV light repeatedly for two months. Between 73 and 84 percent of patients experienced nearly complete repigmentation of their skin. The longevity of the repigmentation differed from person to person.[4]
In early 2008 scientists at King's College London, England, make a major breakthrough in treatment of Vitiligo. They discovered that piperine, a chemical derived from black pepper can aid repigmentaion in skin, especially when combined with pUVA therapy produces a longer lasting and more even pigmentation than previous treatments [2].
References
- ↑ Kwinter J, Pelletier J, Khambalia A, Pope E (2007). "High-potency steroid use in children with vitiligo: a retrospective study". J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 56 (2): 236–41. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2006.08.017. PMID 17224367.
- ↑ Tanghetti EA (2003). "Tacrolimus ointment 0.1% produces repigmentation in patients with vitiligo: results of a prospective patient series". Cutis; cutaneous medicine for the practitioner. 71 (2): 158–62. PMID 12635898.
- ↑ Silverberg NB, Lin P, Travis L, Farley-Li J, Mancini AJ, Wagner AM, Chamlin SL, Paller AS (2004). "Tacrolimus ointment promotes repigmentation of vitiligo in children: a review of 57 cases". J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 51 (5): 760–6. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2004.05.036. PMID 15523355.
- ↑ van Geel N, Ongenae K, De Mil M, Haeghen YV, Vervaet C, Naeyaert JM (2004). "Double-blind placebo-controlled study of autologous transplanted epidermal cell suspensions for repigmenting vitiligo". Archives of dermatology. 140 (10): 1203–8. doi:10.1001/archderm.140.10.1203. PMID 15492182.