Combination treatment with excimer laser and narrowband UVB light in vitiligo patients

Background: For the treatment of vitiligo, narrowband UVB (NBUVB) light is considered the most effective for nonsegmental vitiligo, while excimer laser treatment is commonly used for localized vitiligo. However, treatment areas may potentially be missed with excimer laser treatment. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effect of combinational treatment with NBUVB light and excimer laser on vitiligo. Methods: All patients were first treated with NBUVB; excimer laser was then applied in conjunction with NBUVB phototherapy due to a slow response or no further improvement with continuous NBUVB treatment alone. To minimize adverse effects, a fixed dose of NBUVB was administered, and the dose of excimer laser was increased based on patient response. Results: Among 80 patients, 54 patients showed responses after combination with excimer laser; however, 26 patients (32.5%) showed no remarkable change after combination therapy. Of the 26 patients who showed no further response, 12 patients (46.1%) presented with vitiligo on the acral areas, which are known to the least responsive sites. Conclusion: Our study suggests that combined treatment of NBUVB and excimer laser in vitiligo may enhance the treatment response without remarkable side effects, therefore might also increase the compliance of the patients to the treatment.