Carbon dioxide laser-assisted dermabrasion versus mechanical dermabrasion in the treatment of stable vitiligo

[摘要] Background  Vitiligo still remains a challenging disease to treat. Although various treatment modalities have been mentioned in the literature, few studies have been performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dermabrasion in the treatment of stable vitiligo. Objective  To compare the efficacy of mechanical dermabrasion versus carbon dioxide (CO2) laser-assisted dermabrasion in the treatment of stable vitiligo. Patients and methods  A total of 22 patients with stable vitiligo were included in this comparative study. Two patches in the same site from each patient were selected; the lower patches were treated by mechanical dermabrasion whereas the upper patches were treated by CO2 laser-assisted dermabrasion. Immediately after the dermabrasion, 5-fluorouracil was topically applied daily for 2 weeks followed by twice weekly sessions of excimer light. The outcome was assessed at 3 months postoperatively. Results  A total of 22 patients, comprising 13 women and nine men, were included in the study. There was no significant difference in the percentage of improvement between the two procedures (P0.05). Adverse effects reported were postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in 11 (50%) patients and scar in six (27.3%) patients after mechanical dermabrasion, whereas postinflammatory hyperpigmentation after CO2-assisted dermabrasion was reported in two (9.1%) patients and scar in a single patch (4.5%). Conclusion  CO2 laser-assisted dermabrasion is as effective as mechanical dermabrasion, with less adverse effect in the treatment of stable vitiligo.

[学科分类] 皮肤病学

[关键词] carbon dioxide laser;dermabrasion;vitiligo