Mohammad Ali Mapar1, Moslem Safarpour2, Mokhtar Mapar3, Mohammad Hosein Haghighizadeh4. 1. Department of Dermatology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. Electronic address: mapar.m@gmail.com. 2. Department of Dermatology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. 3. Department of Applied Physics, Division of Biological Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden. 4. Department of Biostatistics, Health School, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Some vitiligo lesions are resistant to all medical treatments. OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare the efficacy of hair follicle transplantation and mini-punch grafting for the treatment of refractory vitiligo lesions. METHODS: A total of 25 patients with stable and resistant vitiligo participated in the study. In each patient, a resistant vitiligo patch was divided into 2 equal parts. One part was treated with hair follicle transplantation and the other part with mini-punch grafting. Postsurgically, the recipient areas were exposed to narrowband ultraviolet B twice a week for 6 months. The diameter of the repigmentation around each graft was measured monthly. RESULTS: At the end of the sixth month, 68% of follicle grafts, and 72% of mini-punch grafts, had repigmentation. The mean diameter of repigmentation around follicle grafts was 5 ± 1.7 mm and around punch grafts was 5.3 ± 1.6 mm. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups statistically (P = .18). LIMITATIONS: Small sample size and short time of follow-up are limitations. CONCLUSIONS: Because the results of the 2 methods are not statistically different and mini-punch grafting is much easier to do than follicular transplantation, we recommend mini-punch grafting to treat drug-resistant vitiligo.
BACKGROUND: Some vitiligo lesions are resistant to all medical treatments. OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare the efficacy of hair follicle transplantation and mini-punch grafting for the treatment of refractory vitiligo lesions. METHODS: A total of 25 patients with stable and resistant vitiligo participated in the study. In each patient, a resistant vitiligo patch was divided into 2 equal parts. One part was treated with hair follicle transplantation and the other part with mini-punch grafting. Postsurgically, the recipient areas were exposed to narrowband ultraviolet B twice a week for 6 months. The diameter of the repigmentation around each graft was measured monthly. RESULTS: At the end of the sixth month, 68% of follicle grafts, and 72% of mini-punch grafts, had repigmentation. The mean diameter of repigmentation around follicle grafts was 5 ± 1.7 mm and around punch grafts was 5.3 ± 1.6 mm. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups statistically (P = .18). LIMITATIONS: Small sample size and short time of follow-up are limitations. CONCLUSIONS: Because the results of the 2 methods are not statistically different and mini-punch grafting is much easier to do than follicular transplantation, we recommend mini-punch grafting to treat drug-resistant vitiligo.