Responsivity to phototherapy in patients with vitiligo in Shahid Faghihi Hospital, Shiraz

Introduction: Psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA), regardless of it's hazards to physician and patients, is considered to be treatment of choice for subtotal vitiligo. This study attempts to evaluate the efficacy of PUVA in treatment of patients with vitiligo. Methods: We have performed a descriptive-analytic study on 30 patients with vitiligo who received PUVA therapy during 2004-2005 in phototherapy center of Doctor Faghihi hospital, Shiraz and evaluated their response to treatment. Data was analyzed by Mann-Witney statistical test and spearman correlation coefficient.. Results: Overall, 22 patients (73.4%) showed some improvement; 18 patients experienced a repigmentation of 51-75% and 4 patients achived greater than 75% repigmentation. Trunk, face and neck lesions showed better repigmentation than other areas, whearas hands and feet were generally refractory to treatment. Sex of the patients and disease duration had no influence on PUVA-included repigmenttation, but age at onset of the disease had negative correlation with degree of repigmentation and dose of PUVA had positive correlation with degree of repigmentation. Conclusion: Distribution of vitiliginous lesions must be taken into consideration before the initiation of PUVA therapy, as the response to treatment varies greatly at different body sites; Hands and feet lesions are refractory to PUVA. Trunk, face and neck lesions show the best responsiveness.