This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Wiete Westerhof, MD, PhD; Ludmila Nieuweboer-Krobotova, MD

Arch Dermatol. 1997;133(12):1525-1528.

Abstract
Objective
To compare the efficacy and safety of 2 treatment modalities, topical psoralen plus UV-A (PUVA) with unsubstituted psoralen and 311-nm UV-B radiation, in patients with vitiligo.

Design
This intervention study was designed as a before-and-after trial with 2 arms, in which patients were consecutively included.

Patients
Male (n=99) and female (n=182) patients, who predominantly had skin type III, with extensive, generalized vitiligo of more than 3 months' duration.

Interventions
Two patient groups were investigated. The first group of patients was treated for 4 months with either topical PUVA (n=28) or 311-nm UV-B radiation (n=78). The second group of patients, treated twice weekly with 311-nm UV-B radiation, was followed up for 3 (n=60), 6 (n=27), 9 (n=37), or 12 months (n=51).

Results
Thirteen (46%) patients in the first group treated with topical PUVA showed repigmentation after 4 months. Fifty-two patients (67%) in the 311-nm UV-B treatment group showed repigmentation after 4 months. After 3 months, 5 patients (8%) in the second group showed more than 75% repigmentation of lesional skin compared with 32 patients (63%) after 12 months. As in other treatment modalities, the face showed good repigmentation, whereas hands and feet responded poorly. No adverse effects were encountered with treatment with narrowband UV-B radiation, contrary to those seen with topical PUVA treatment. The cumulative UV-B dose was very small compared with that of the topical PUVA treatment.

Conclusions
According to our results, the treatment of patients with vitiligo with 311-nm UV-B radiation is as efficient as with topical PUVA and has fewer adverse effects.

Arch Dermatol. 1997;133:1525-1528

Author Affiliations
From the Netherlands Institute for Pigmentary Disorders (Drs Westerhof and Nieuweboer-Krobotova) and the Department of Dermatology, Academic Medical Center (Dr Westerhof), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Vitiligo
Taieb and Picardo
NEJM 2009;360:160-169.
FULL TEXT  

Randomized Double-blind Trial of Treatment of Vitiligo: Efficacy of Psoralen-UV-A Therapy vs Narrowband-UV-B Therapy
Yones et al.
Arch Dermatol 2007;143:578-584.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Advances in Psoriasis
Lebwohl
Arch Dermatol 2005;141:1589-1590.
FULL TEXT  

New Insights and New Therapies in Vitiligo
Grimes
JAMA 2005;293:730-735.
FULL TEXT  

The Safety and Efficacy of the 308-nm Excimer Laser for Pigment Correction of Hypopigmented Scars and Striae Alba
Alexiades-Armenakas et al.
Arch Dermatol 2004;140:955-960.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Parametric Modeling of Narrowband UV-B Phototherapy for Vitiligo Using a Novel Quantitative Tool: The Vitiligo Area Scoring Index
Hamzavi et al.
Arch Dermatol 2004;140:677-683.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Childhood Vitiligo and Tacrolimus: Immunomodulating Treatment for an Autoimmune Disease
Plettenberg et al.
Arch Dermatol 2003;139:651-654.
FULL TEXT  

Use of the 308-nm Excimer Laser for Postresurfacing Leukoderma
Friedman and Geronemus
Arch Dermatol 2001;137:824-825.
FULL TEXT  

Association of the Kobner Phenomenon With Disease Activity and Therapeutic Responsiveness in Vitiligo Vulgaris
Njoo et al.
Arch Dermatol 1999;135:407-413.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Nonsurgical Repigmentation Therapies in Vitiligo: Meta-analysis of the Literature
Njoo et al.
Arch Dermatol 1998;134:1532-1540.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Mechanisms of Phototherapy of Vitiligo
Fitzpatrick
Arch Dermatol 1997;133:1591-1592.
ABSTRACT