phototherapy vs biologic treatment for psoriasis

Phototherapy and Vitiligo

Vitiligo
Vitiligo is characterized by loss of pigment in patches of the body. Vitiligo provides little physical discomfort, though it is often quite distressing. Scientists believe that vitiligo may be an autoimmune process in which the body destroys its own pigment.

Phototherapy Treatment can effectively treat Vitiligo
UV light, or phototherapy vitiligo treatment can help create repigmentation. This process is slow, working from the outer edges of each patch inward, so regular phototherapy vitiligo treatment is prescribed. Phototherapy vitiligo treatment may continue twice a week for a year or more. Phototherapy equipment has been well-studied and has been proven to be an effective treatment for vitiligo.

Home Phototherapy Equipment to treat vitiligo
Vitiligo treatments at home or at your doctor's office is a decision between you and your doctor. Home phototherapy units are usually reimbursed by insurance. The right phototherapy equipment is based on the size of the area affected by vitiligo. The most often used phototherapy units for vitiligo are:

Panosol 3D^Ž - 6' panel with lamps on the doors! Treat body in 2 sessions.
Dermalight-80 ^Ž handheld model is ideal for smaller areas of vitiligo

Clinical Research

#1 Narrow-band Ultraviolet B is a Useful and Well-Tolerated Treatment for Vitiligo Lubomira Scherschun, MD; Jane J. Kim, MD; Henry W. Lim, MD. Journal of American Academy of Dermatology. VOL 44, Number 6. June 2001

Diverse vitiligo patients treated for one year with narrowband UVB phototherapy. Five of the seven achieved 75% repigmentation with a mean of 19 treatments. CONCLUSION: Treatment protocol resulted in rapid repigmentation in many vitiligo patients, including those with skin phototypes IV and V. In accordance with previous studies, this report indicates that narrowband UVB phototherapy is a useful and well-tolerated treatment for vitiligo.

#2 Treatment of Generalized Vitiligo in Children with Narrow Band (TL-01) UVB Radiation Therapy. M. D. Njoo, MD, PhD and W. Westerhof, MD, PhD. Journal of American Academy of Dermatology. Vol 42, Number 2, Part 1. February 2000

Studied efficacy and safety of UVB (311 nm) phototherapy in children with generalized vitiligo. 51 Children were treated with narrowband UVB lights twice a week for one year. Psychosocial impact of disease and treatment were carefully evaluated before and after. 75% overall repigmentation in 53% of vitiligo patients and a stabilization of the vitiligo disease in 80%. CONCLUSION: Narrow-band UVB phototherapy is effective and safe in childhood vitiligo; phototherapy treatment may also significantly improve the quality of life.

#3 Narrow-band ultraviolet B treatment for vitiligo, pruritus, and inflammatory dermatoses. Samson YS, Gielczyk R, Scherschun L & Lim HW Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2003 Aug; Vol. 19 (4), pp. 164-8

BACKGROUND: Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy has been used successfully for the treatment of inflammatory and pigmentary skin disorders including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, mycosis fungoides, polymorphous light eruption, and vitiligo. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of the treatment outcomes of 117 consecutive patients with vitiligo, pruritus, and other inflammatory dermatoses, excluding those with psoriasis and CTCL, who were treated with NB-UVB between 1998 and 2001 at our institution. CONCLUSION: Approximately 80% of all patients showed improvement in their condition using narrow band UVB phototherapy. NB-UVB phototherapy lights were well tolerated, with no serious adverse effects.