Vitiligo and Its Treatment

SUMMARY The results of the treatment of vitiligo with psoralens alone, psoralens combined with oral and/or local corticosteroids, and corticosteroids alone in a series of 259 vitiligo patients are reported. Psoralens alone with solar and/or ultraviolet irradiation proved to be the most reliable and safe therapeutic agent available. Although oral corticosteroids enhance the pigmentary response produced by psoralens and intralesional injection of corticosteroids may be of a beneficial effect in some cases, they cannot be the determining agent in a therapeutic modality in vitiligo. Topical application of corticosteroids, through helping in softening and thinning of the hyperkeratotic thickened skin brought about by repeated irradiation, may be of help in some cases, but used alone it did not induce any repigmentary response.