Oral photochemotherapy in vitiligo: follow-up, patient compliance.

BACKGROUND

Vitiligo is a common, acquired condition of unknown etiology. The only practical treatment for patients with vitiligo is psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA). No satisfactory method is available to measure the influence of certain factors on the therapeutic response.

METHODS

Twenty-nine patients with generalized vitiligo were studied for the effectives of PUVA therapy. The comparative study revealed the importance of certain variables (i.e., the proper dose of psoralen, the regular attendance of the patient, and the duration of the treatment). A scoring system had been designed and employed to evaluate these factors.

RESULTS

The follow-up of these patients showed that 18 of the 29 completed their treatment. An almost total improvement was obtained in 67% of these patients within 12 months (range 6-18 months). The average number of exposures was 64. A statistically significant difference was obtained between patients with good compliance and those with poor compliance.

CONCLUSIONS

The scoring system is a simple practical measure applicable to patients that proved eventually to be very useful for providing more effective treatment and a good response.