Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy combined with intralesional injection of either latanoprost or platelet-rich plasma for stable nonsegmental vitiligo.

BACKGROUND: Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy is the cornerstone of vitiligo treatment. Its combination with other treatments usually yields a better response. Latanoprost, a prostaglandin F2α analog, and autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) have been reported to be effective for vitiligo. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of NB-UVB combined with intralesional latanoprost or PRP for stable nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV). METHODS: Sixty patients with stable NSV were recruited and randomly allocated to two equal groups. NB-UVB phototherapy was administered twice a week for all patients. Additionally, group A received intralesional latanoprost injections once weekly, while group B received intralesional autologous PRP injections every 2 weeks. RESULTS: At 24 weeks, excellent repigmentation response was observed in 26.7% and 13.3% of patients in the latanoprost/NB-UVB and PRP/NB-UVB groups, respectively, with no significant difference in degrees of repigmentation between the two groups. However, the Vitiligo Extent Score for a Target Area (VESTA) score was significantly higher in the latanoprost/NB-UVB group (p = .032). Moreover, lesions located on nonacral skin responded significantly better than those on acral skin. Only erythema was significantly higher in the PRP/NB-UVB group, while the recurrence of depigmentation was significantly higher in the latanoprost/NB-UVB group. CONCLUSIONS: Both latanoprost and PRP have the potential to be effective add-on therapies to NB-UVB phototherapy for stable NSV, with latanoprost resulting in a greater repigmentation response and PRP producing a more stable response.

Efficacy of Topical Timolol 0.5% in the Treatment of Acne and Rosacea: A Multicentric Study.

BACKGROUND: Acne and rosacea are common chronic inflammatory skin diseases associated with psychosocial impairment, anxiety, depression, and impaired overall quality of life. Timolol maleate is a potent nonselective ß-blocker that causes a combination of vasoconstriction and inhibition of inflammatory mediators. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the clinical efficacy and safety of topical timolol maleate 0.5% for the treatment of acne and rosacea. METHODS: A total of 116 patients (58 patients with rosacea and 58 patients with acne) were treated with topical timolol maleate 0.5% every night before bedtime for eight weeks. RESULTS: The severity of both acne and rosacea decreased relative to baseline; however, the improvement in rosacea was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: In our study, topical timolol maleate 0.5% demonstrated effectiveness in the treatment of acne, especially in noninflammatory lesions, but seems to be more effective in erythematotelangiectatic rosacea than papulopustular rosacea lesions, with insignificant side effects. The addition of topical timolol to the standard treatment protocol for acne and rosacea is expected to be beneficial, especially by way of improving comedones of acne and resistant inflammatory erythema of both acne and rosacea.