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A Novel Transplantation Procedure for the Treatment of Depigmentation

Thomas W. McGovern, MD; Jean Bolognia, MD; David J. Leffell, MD
From the Section of Dermatologic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology, Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn

Arch Dermatol. 1999;135:1305-1307.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

BACKGROUND

Cutaneous depigmentation afflicts millions of people worldwide. For example, vitiligo affects an estimated 1% of Americans¹ and 0.38% to 1.13% of individuals worldwide.^2-4 Although some patients may respond to treatment with topical corticosteroids or topical or oral psoralen plus UV-A (PUVA),⁵ many do not, and therefore, they seek additional therapy. Several surgical procedures have been devised to repigment depigmented skin.⁶ These include the transfer of autologous melanocytes derived from split-thickness skin grafts,⁷ full-thickness skin grafts,⁸ punch grafts,⁹ pinch grafts,¹⁰ or suction-induced blister roofs.¹¹ Autologous melanocytes have also been obtained from tissue cultures of melanocytes alone¹² or melanocytes plus keratinocytes.¹³ Recipient sites may be prepared in a number of ways, including dermabrasion,¹⁴ suction blisters,¹⁵ liquid nitrogen–induced blisters,¹¹ PUVA-induced blisters,¹⁶ laser ablation,¹⁷ or by removal of skin with a dermatome.⁷ Some of these methods leave undesirable scarring (eg, cobblestoning), are time . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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