Fractional CO2 lasers contribute to the treatment of stable non-segmental vitiligo

Background

Stable non-segmental vitiligo is often resistant to conventional therapies.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of three types of fractional lasers in the treatment of stable nonsegmental vitiligo.

Materials & methods

Twenty patients were enrolled in the study. The vitiligo lesions of each patient were divided into four treatment parts, and all parts were treated with narrowband ultraviolet-B (NB-UVB). Three of the four parts were respectively treated with three types of fractional lasers (two ablative 10,600-nm CO₂ lasers and one non-ablative 1,565-nm laser), followed by topical betamethasone solution application. The treatment period lasted six months. Efficacy and satisfaction were respectively assessed by dermatologists and patients.

Results

The ablative CO₂ lasers, in combination with topical betamethasone solution and NB-UVB, achieved marked to excellent improvement on white patches assessed by dermatologists. Patients showed high satisfaction scores for the treatments. The non-ablative 1,565-nm fractional laser did not provide any further benefit in the treatment of vitiligo. No severe adverse events developed for any of the treatments.

Conclusion

The treatment protocol with ablative CO₂ lasers, in combination with topical betamethasone solution and NB-UVB, was suitable for stable non-segmental vitiligo. For vitiligo, the ablative fractional CO₂ laser is more effective than the non-ablative fractional laser.