Narrowband ultraviolet B as monotherapy and in combination with topical calcipotriol in the treatment of generalized vitiligo

Conflict of interest: none declared. Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB‐UVB) has recently emerged as a promising treatment for generalized vitiligo. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of NB‐UVB phototherapy in the treatment of vitiligo, and compared it with the combination of NB‐UVB plus topical calcipotriol therapy. The research protocol was approved by the local ethics committee and all subjects provided written informed consent. In total, 20 Egyptian patients with generalized symmetrical vitiligo were recruited into this open, bilateral comparative study for 6 months (Table 1). Follow‐up was undertaken over a 6‐month period after treatment, using the Vitiligo Disease Activity (VIDA) scale and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Patients were given NB‐UVB phototherapy (GH‐8ST unit; Cosmedico Medizintechnik, Schwenningen, Germany) thrice weekly on nonconsecutive days (60 sessions in total). The starting dose and increments were chosen according to skin phototype using the calibrated tables supplied by the manufacturer. The right side of the body was given combination treatment, with the addition of topical calcipotriol 0.05 mg/g cream, which was applied twice daily to all lesions on the right side of the body until the end of treatment.