title: Combined therapy for resistant vitiligo lesions: NB-UVB, microneedling, and topical latanoprost, showed no enhanced efficacy compared to topical latanoprost and NB-UVB.
abstract: Vitiligo is depigmenting disorder of the skin and mucous membranes but despite various therapeutic options, complete and satisfactory treatment of vitiligo still remains a challenge. Therapeutic success also varies depending on the localization of lesions; hands and bony prominents are considered to be resistant to treatment. We investigated feasibility of treating resistant bilateral symmetrical vitiligo vulgaris and acrofacialis lesions with combination of narrowband UVB and topical prostaglandins (0.005% latanoprost solution) with or without Dermaroller 0.5 mm needle length-assisted microneedling. Frequency of repigmentation onset was generally low (37.8%) and pronounced repigmentation was infrequently seen (26-50% repigmentation in 20.8%, and >50% repigmentation in only 8.8% of repigmenting lesions). Our study, however, showed that latanoprost can be used in combination with NB-UVB phototherapy to induce repigmentation in some vitiligo lesions in resistant-to-treatment location, while addition of skin microneedling seems not to improve the treatment outcome and possibly needs modification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb, Croatia.|Croatian Vitiligo Association, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Andrija
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stanimirovic
authors.affiliation: Croatian Vitiligo Association, Zagreb, Croatia. kovacevic.maja01@gmail.com.|Dermatology and Venereology Division, Guglielmo Marconi University, Roma, Italy. kovacevic.maja01@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kovacevic
authors.affiliation: VR Foundation, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Korobko
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Center "Sestre milosrdnice,", Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Mirna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Šitum
authors.affiliation: Dermatology and Venereology Division, Guglielmo Marconi University, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Torello
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lotti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017523:Croatia; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077338:Latanoprost; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008904:Miniaturization; D009339:Needles; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic; D000077338:Latanoprost
keywords: latanoprost; microneedling; vitiligo