Effect of combination of fractional CO2 laser and narrow-band ultraviolet B versus narrow-band ultraviolet B in the treatment of non-segmental vitiligo

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of combining fractional CO2 laser with narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) versus NB-UVB in the treatment of non-segmental vitiligo. The study included 20 patients with non-segmental stable vitiligo. They were divided into two groups. Group I received a single session of fractional CO2 laser therapy on the right side of the body followed by NB-UVB phototherapy twice per week for 8 weeks. Group II received a second session of fractional CO2 laser therapy after 4 weeks from starting treatment with NB-UVB. The vitiligo lesions were assessed before treatment and after 8 weeks of treatment by VASI. At the end of the study period, the vitiligo area score index (VASI) in group I decreased insignificantly on both the right (−2.6%) and left (−16.4%) sides. In group II, VASI increased insignificantly on the right (+14.4%) and left (+2.5%) sides. Using Adobe Photoshop CS6 extended program to measure the area of vitiligo lesions, group I showed a decrease of −1.02 and −6.12% in the mean area percentage change of vitiligo lesions on the right and left sides, respectively. In group II the change was +9.84 and +9.13% on the right and left sides, respectively. In conclusion, combining fractional CO2 laser with NB-UVB for the treatment of non-segmental vitiligo did not show any significant advantage over treatment with NB-UVB alone. Further study of this combination for longer durations in the treatment of vitiligo is recommended.