A comparative study of the mini-punch grafting and hair follicle transplantation in the treatment of refractory and stable vitiligo
Journal article, 2014
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 4 743-747Subject Categories
Dermatology and Venereal Diseases
DOI
10.1016/j.jaad.2013.11.044