Inducing repigmentation by regrafting and phototherapy (311 nm) in punch grafting failure cases of lip vitiligo: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND

Punch grafting followed by PUVA/PUVASOL is an established mode of therapy in vitiligo including that on the lips.

AIMS: To assess the efficacy of NB-UVB along with regrafting in patients in whom punch grafting had failed to evoke any response.

METHODS

Five patients with stable and isolated lip vitiligo in whom punch grafting and PUVA had failed to produce pigmentation were treated by regrafting and subsequent NB-UVB (311 nm) phototherapy.

RESULTS

Complete repigmentation was observed in three of the five cases after 16 weeks. In the remaining two, the results were mixed.

CONCLUSIONS

Stable lip vitiligo usually responds very well to punch grafting and PUVA/PUVASOL. In patients who fail to respond to this treatment, complete repigmentation following regrafting and NB-UVB is an observation that needs to be explained.