Sun-protection habits and knowledge of patients with vitiligo.

INTRODUCTION: Vitiligo is a common chronic depigmentation disease. Patients are generally advised to protect themselves from the sun. METHODS: One hundred fifty-three patients diagnosed with vitiligo and 106 healthy volunteers with no additional dermatological disease were included in the study. We evaluated the sun-protection habits of patients with vitiligo and controls, and also assessed their knowledge and attitudes toward sun exposure. RESULTS: Rates of sunscreen use, high-factor sunscreen use, and remaining in the shade were significantly higher among patients (p = 0.004, p = 0.028, p = 0.040). We found significantly higher rates of modifying vacation habits, high sun-protection factors (SPF) sunscreen use, and preferring to remain in the shade among patients using phototherapy (p = 0.016, p = 0.019, p = 0.028). We showed higher rates of modification of vacation habits, wearing sunglasses, and remaining in the shade among patients with longer disease durations (p = 0.026, p = 0.001, and p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: We determined higher rates of sunscreen use, high-SPF sunscreen use, and tendencies to remain in the shade in vitiligo patients compared to the general population. We also determined that disease duration and treatment with phototherapy alters sun-protection habits, but the presence of generalized disease and lesions in visible areas such as the face does not alter patients' habits.

Mycosis Fungoides: A 10-year Turkish Experience.

Mycosis fungoides is the most common primary cutaneous T cell lymphoma, characterized by erythematous patches and plaque lesions with slow progression to cutaneous tumors or extracutaneous involvements in some patients. We aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment responses, disease courses, and mortality rates of our MF cases. The data of 100 patients with MF were retrospectively examined from medical records in our clinic between January 2005 and January 2015. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, disease stage, treatment protocols, response to treatment, recurrence, progression, and mortality rates were recorded. The male to female ratio in patients was 1.2. Mean age at onset of disease was 46, and duration of disease ranged from one to 42 years. At time of diagnosis 31 patients were at stage 1A, 31 at stage 1B, 30 at stage 2A, 2 at stage 2B, 1 at stage 3, and 5 at stage 4. Stable disease was observed in 35% of patients, progression in 10%, relapse in 27%, and complete response in 28%. Large cell transformation was found in 3 patients and additional malignity in 11. Thirty-seven patients (37%) were still surviving disease-free. 10 patients had died, three of them due to disease-related conditions. The most common first-line therapy in our study was phototherapy. It was applied to 87% of patients from stage 1A. Our results are generally consistent with current literature, but disease progression and disease-specific mortality rates were significantly lower than the literature, probably due to early phototherapy.

Vitamin D status and the effects of oral vitamin D treatment in children with vitiligo: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Vitiligo is a pigmentary disorder and autoimmune pathogenesis seems most likely. Decreased vitamin D levels have been related to several autoimmune diseases. Little is known about the association of vitiligo and vitamin D. We aimed to evaluate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels in children with vitiligo and to determine the efficacy of oral vitamin D therapy on the repigmentation of vitamin D deficient patients. METHODS: Thirty patients aged 6-17 years with vitiligo and 30 sex- and age-matched apparently healthy controls were included in this prospective study. Size of the vitiligo representative area was estimated using the point counting method and blood samples were obtained at the beginning and month six. By the end of the study, all patients treated with topical tacrolimus for six months and the patients who were vitamin D deficient (n = 14) had been on combination treatment of oral vitamin D and topical tacrolimus. A dose of 1500 IU/day vitamin D was given if the serum 25(OH)D levels <20 ng/ml and 3000 IU/day was given if the levels <10 ng/ml for six months. Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Serum 25(OH)D levels of patients and controls were not significantly different (p > 0.05). Lesion size decreased from 66.1 ± 58.3 cm2 to 48.0 ± 52.6 cm2 after six months of treatment in patients who received combination treatment (p < 0.001) and increased in patients who received only topical therapy from 34.8 ± 48.1 cm2 to 53.5 ± 64.9 cm2 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Although we did not determine decreased serum 25(OH)D levels in children with vitiligo, we showed that combination treatment with oral vitamin D and topical tacrolimus is more effective in reaching repigmentation than topical tacrolimus alone. Oral vitamin D supplementation might be useful for children with vitiligo who are also deficient in vitamin D.