Punch minigrafting for stable vitiligo : our experience at the Jordanian royal medical services

Abstract EN

Objective : To evaluate punch mini grafting as one of the existing surgical methods used to.

Treat stable vitiligo in patients with vitiligo involving small areas of skin.Methods : This study was conducted at two of the Jordanian Royal Medical Services Hospitals over a two year period from June 2009 to June 2011.

Twenty nine patients with stable vitiligo of three to 10 year duration (mean 6 years), and a duration of disease stability from one to six years (mean 3 years), were treated by implanting small sized autologus full thickness skin grafts into the vitiligenous areas.

The grafts were harvested from normally pigmented skin.

Patients were followed up monthly for twelve months.

In each follow up they were evaluated for the amount of repigmentation of the treated area and for the presence of any complications.

The overall response of the treated lesions was clinically assessed by two different dermatologists at six months postoperatively and based on the degree of pigmentation it was defined as : poor (repigmentation < 30 %), fair (31-50 %), good (51-75 %) and excellent (> 75 %).

A simple statistical analysis of frequencies, means and percentages was used to describe the study variables.

Results : A total of 89.6 % of patients showed good to excellent repigmentation by six months.

Complications were encountered in 10 patients (34.5 %) and included cobblestoning in two patients (6.9 %), graft displacement in six patients (20.7 %) and minor infections in two patients (6.9 %).

No graft depigmentation or relapse of vitiligo in the treated areas was noted.

No koebnerization or scarring was noted in the donor areas.

Conclusion : Minigrafts seem to be a good treatment option for patients with stable vitiligo.

Patient selection and attention to details in the technique can improve the outcome.