ORAL PHOTOCHEMOTHERAPY IN VITILIGO

Abstract

Patients (33) with vitiligo were treated with total body artificial UVA irradiations and systemic 8-MOP [8-methoxy psoralen]. Hexagonal upstanding light boxes containing 84 fluorescent bulbs were used as UVA sources. Patients were treated for 2 mo. Response to psoralen photochemotherapy was evaluated: excellent.sbd.greater than 90% repigmentation; good.sbd.50-90% repigmentation; fair.sbd.less than 50% repigmentation; no repigmentation. Excellent results were obtained in 5 patients (15%), good results in 9 patients (27%) and 6 patients (18%) showed no response. There was no correlation between the age of the patients, the extent of involvement and the duration of vitiligo and response to therapy. Artificial UVA sources and systemically administered 8-MOP is at least as effective as 8-MOP + sunlight exposure.