title: Childhood vitiligo: response to methylprednisolone oral minipulse therapy and topical fluticasone combination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood vitiligo is always a challenge to treat, especially when the disease is progressing rapidly in such a patient. Oral minipulse with betamethasone has been tried in childhood vitiligo and also in some other immune mediated skin disorders with good results.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to see the overall efficacy of methylprednisolone oral minipulse therapy in combination with topical fluticasone in progressive childhood vitiligo. The combination was tried to achieve a significant amount of repigmentation of vitiligo lesions already present at the initial visit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred children with progressive vitiligo were enrolled for this study and were prescribed oral methylprednisolone on two consecutive days every week in a minipulse form for a period of six months. In addition, the patients were instructed to apply fluticasone ointment topically once a day on their vitiligo lesions. The patients were assessed for the remission achieved as well as the extent of repigmentation of their already existent lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 90% of patients went into complete remission after the start of the therapy. Moreover, about 65% (two-thirds) of patients achieved good to excellent repigmentation of lesions at the end of six months of therapy. The therapy was also well tolerated and the side effects seen were almost negligible.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral minipulse treatment with methylprednisolone is an effective treatment option for controlling the disease spread in childhood vitiligo and with the addition of topical fluticasone the extent of repigmentation achieved is also quite significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, STD and Leprosy, Govt. Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir, India. imran54@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Imran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Majid
authors.forename: Qazi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Masood
authors.forename: Iffat
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Dilshad
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Muzammil
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chisti