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UVB phototherapy in the treatment of vitiligo: State of the art and clinical perspectives
Author(s) -
Bouceiro Mendes Rita,
Alpalhão Miguel,
Filipe Paulo
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
photodermatology, photoimmunology and photomedicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.736
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1600-0781
pISSN - 0905-4383
DOI - 10.1111/phpp.12740
Subject(s) - vitiligo , medicine , dermatology , treatment modality , therapeutic modalities , surgery
Vitiligo is a chronic pigmentary skin disorder that results in white, hypopigmented macules and patches. It causes a considerable psychological and emotional burden on the affected individuals and their families. Several therapeutic options have been employed in vitiligo including topical and oral drugs, surgical techniques, and phototherapy which is considered the cornerstone treatment. Different wavelengths and modalities are available, but narrowband UVB (NB‐UVB) is considered the safest and the most effective phototherapy alternative. NB‐UVB acts on multiple steps in vitiligo pathogenesis, and it is capable of inducing stabilization and repigmentation of vitiligo lesions. Technological advances have led to the development of both new phototherapy devices and new medical and surgical therapeutic options that can be combined with phototherapy to achieve optimal results. There is no standard treatment, and individual patient and disease characteristics should be considered. We review the current evidence in what concerns UVB phototherapy for vitiligo treatment, including novel combination treatments that may help to provide the best care for these patients.