S M Kim1, H S Lee, S K Hann. 1. Department of Dermatology, Samsung Cheil Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: One of the most probable pathogeneses of vitiligo is autoimmunity. Systemic corticosteroids suppress immunity and may arrest the progression of vitiligo and lead to repigmentation. The clinical efficacy of low-dose oral corticosteroids was assessed to minimize the side-effects in actively spreading vitiligo patients. METHODS: Eighty-one patients with vitiligo were evaluated. The patients took daily doses of oral prednisolone (0.3 mg/kg body weight) initially for 2 months; the dosage was then reduced to half of the initial dose for the third month and was halved again for the fourth and final month. The effects of treatment were evaluated using photographs of before and after the study. Side-effects were assessed at the first, second, third and fourth month of treatment. RESULTS: Arrested progression of vitiligo and repigmentation were noted in 87.7% and 70.4% of patients respectively. Male sex, a patient age of 15 years or under, and a duration of disease of 2 years or less showed increased repigmentation with statistical significance. The side-effects of treatment were minimal and did not affect the course of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose oral corticosteroids are effective without serious side-effects in preventing the progression and inducing repigmentation of actively spreading vitiligo, which is difficult to treat with topical corticosteroids or photochemotherapy.
BACKGROUND: One of the most probable pathogeneses of vitiligo is autoimmunity. Systemic corticosteroids suppress immunity and may arrest the progression of vitiligo and lead to repigmentation. The clinical efficacy of low-dose oral corticosteroids was assessed to minimize the side-effects in actively spreading vitiligo patients. METHODS: Eighty-one patients with vitiligo were evaluated. The patients took daily doses of oral prednisolone (0.3 mg/kg body weight) initially for 2 months; the dosage was then reduced to half of the initial dose for the third month and was halved again for the fourth and final month. The effects of treatment were evaluated using photographs of before and after the study. Side-effects were assessed at the first, second, third and fourth month of treatment. RESULTS: Arrested progression of vitiligo and repigmentation were noted in 87.7% and 70.4% of patients respectively. Male sex, a patient age of 15 years or under, and a duration of disease of 2 years or less showed increased repigmentation with statistical significance. The side-effects of treatment were minimal and did not affect the course of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose oral corticosteroids are effective without serious side-effects in preventing the progression and inducing repigmentation of actively spreading vitiligo, which is difficult to treat with topical corticosteroids or photochemotherapy.
Authors: M El-Domyati; W H El-Din; A F Rezk; I Chervoneva; J B Lee; M Farber; J Uitto; O Igoucheva; Vitali Alexeev Journal: Arch Dermatol Res Date: 2021-04-17 Impact factor: 3.017