Treatment of vitiligo with a melanocyte-keratinocyte cell suspension versus dermabrasion only: a pilot study with a 12-month follow up.

BACKGROUND

Dermabrasion is a surgical procedure that has been used for repigmentation; however, autologous transplantation of uncultured melanocytes in a suspension combined with the use of adjunct treatment provides better results.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of dermoabrasion (DA) and melanocyte-keratinocyte cell suspension transplantation (DA+MKT) vs. dermabrasion with no adjunct treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We selected 11 patients (six women and five men) with stable vitiligo. From these, two achromic maculae of similar size were selected. One macule was treated with DA+MKT and the other with DA only. The main parameter of treatment efficacy was the percentage of repigmentation in the area treated, three and 12 months after implantation.

RESULTS

In seven of the 11 patients, slightly better pigmentation occurred with DA+MKT. Two of these patients had a repigmentation greater than 50 percent and in two other patients, the result was similar for both techniques, although slightly better with MKT. Two more patients showed less than 20 percent repigmentation, but only in the area treated with DA+MKT. One patient showed pigmentation initially after DA+MKT only, and subsequent depigmentation.

CONCLUSION

DA+MKT produced slightly better repigmentation than DA only when given without adjunct treatment in a 12-month follow-up period.