A comparative study of the mini-punch grafting and hair follicle transplantation in the treatment of refractory and stable vitiligo
Journal article, 2014

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.

Ahvaz

grafting

hair follicle

VULGARIS

transplantation

punch

REPIGMENTATION

resistant

vitiligo

Author

M. Mapar

Ahvaz, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

M. Safarpour

Ahvaz, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Mokhtar Mapar

Chalmers, Applied Physics, Biological Physics

M. H. Haghighizadeh

Ahvaz, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

0190-9622 (ISSN) 1097-6787 (eISSN)

Vol. 70 4 743-747

Subject Categories

Dermatology and Venereal Diseases

DOI

10.1016/j.jaad.2013.11.044

More information

Latest update

5/24/2024