RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Follicular unit extraction (FUE) grafting is a surgical procedure which provides the vitiliginous patches with undifferentiated stem cells of the hair follicles. It has been postulated that adjuvant therapy enhances the results. This is the first study to assess two different adjuvant therapies vs FUE alone. AIMS: To study the efficiency of FUE alone or combined with either topical calcipotriol betamethasone dipropionate (CBD) or NB-UVB phototherapy in cases of nonsegmental stable vitiligo. To assess the role of dermoscopy in monitoring the pattern and degree of repigmentation. PATIENTS/ METHODS: 53 patients with 94 lesions with stable nonsegmental vitiligo were divided into three groups. Group 1 (n = 16) with 30 lesions received FUE alone. Group 2 (n = 18) with 32 lesions received FUE plus topical CBD. Group 3 (n = 19) with 32 lesions received FUE plus NB-UVB phototherapy. Assessment was done by grades of repigmentation, color match, percent of size reduction, and immunohistochemical evaluation of perilesional CD8+T lymphocytes. RESULTS: The fastest onset of repigmentation was observed in both groups 2 and 3 in the second week (16.7%, 10.5%, respectively).Group 2 achieved the best response by all methods of assessment. Perifollicular diffuse repigmentation was the commonest dermoscopic pattern in 60 lesions (63.8%). There was a statistically significant decrease in perilesional CD8+T lymphocytes after 4 months. CONCLUSION: FUE is an effective method of surgical treatment of stable vitiligo, and topical CBD as a new adjuvant therapy is successful in targeting the immunological background of vitiligo. Dermoscopy has an essential role in monitoring the repigmentation response.