Outcome of Repeated Use of Donor Site for Noncultured Epidermal Cellular Grafting in Stable Vitiligo: A Retrospective Study

Management of Stable Vitiligo-A Review of the Surgical Approach

At present, vitiligo is the most common depigmenting skin disorder, characterized by clearly demarcated discolored patches of various shapes and sizes. Depigmentation results from the initial dysfunction and subsequent destruction of melanin-producing cells, called melanocytes, which are located in the basal layer of the epidermis and in hair follicles. This review concludes that the extent of repigmentation, regardless of the treatment method, is greatest in stable localized vitiligo patients. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the clinical evidence for which the vitiligo treatment method (cellular or tissue) is more effective. The treatment relies on multiple factors, ranging from patient skin predisposition for repigmentation to the experience of the facility performing the procedure. Vitiligo is a significant problem in modern society. Although it is a typically asymptomatic and not life-threatening disease, it may have significant psychological and emotional impacts. Standard treatment relies on pharmacotherapy and phototherapy; however, the treatment of patients with stable vitiligo varies. The stability of vitiligo more than often implies the exhaustion of the potential for skin self-repigmentation. Thus, the surgical methods that distribute normal melanocytes into the skin are crucial elements of these patients' therapy. The most commonly used methods are described in the literature, with an indication of their recent progress and changes. In addition, information on the efficiency of the individual methods at specific locations is compiled in this study, and the prognostic factors indicating repigmentation are presented. Cellular methods are the best therapeutic option for large-sized lesions; although they are more exorbitant than tissue methods, they benefit from more rapid healing times and presenting fewer side effects. Dermoscopy is a valuable tool used to assess the further course of repigmentation, where it is of great value to evaluate the patient prior to and following an operation.

Surgical Interventions for Patients With Vitiligo: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Importance

Surgical interventions are a key part of the therapeutic arsenal, especially in refractory and stable vitiligo. Comparison of treatment outcomes between the different surgical procedures and their respective adverse effects has not been adequately studied.

Objective

To investigate the reported treatment response following different surgical modalities in patients with vitiligo.

Data Sources

A comprehensive search of the MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from the date of database inception to April 18, 2020, was conducted. The key search terms used were vitiligo, surgery, autologous, transplantation, punch, suction blister, and graft.

Study Selection

Of 1365 studies initially identified, the full texts of 358 articles were assessed for eligibility. A total of 117 studies were identified in which punch grafting (n = 19), thin skin grafting (n = 10), suction blister grafting (n = 29), noncultured epidermal cell suspension (n = 45), follicular cell suspension (n = 9), and cultured epidermal cell suspension (n = 17) were used.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Three reviewers independently extracted data on study design, patients, intervention characteristics, and outcomes. Random effects meta-analyses using generic inverse-variance weighting were performed.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcomes were the rates of greater than 90%, 75%, and 50% repigmentation response. These rates were calculated by dividing the number of participants in an individual study who showed the corresponding repigmentation by the total number of participants who completed the study. The secondary outcomes were the factors associated with treatment response to the surgical intervention.

Results

Among the 117 unique studies and 8776 unique patients included in the analysis, rate of repigmentation of greater than 90% for surgical interventions was 52.69% (95% CI, 46.87%-58.50%) and 45.76% (95% CI, 30.67%-60.85%) for punch grafting, 72.08% (95% CI, 54.26%-89.89%) for thin skin grafting, 61.68% (95% CI, 47.44%-75.92%) for suction blister grafting, 47.51% (95% CI, 37.00%-58.03%) for noncultured epidermal cell suspension, 36.24% (95% CI, 18.92%-53.57%) for noncultured follicular cell suspension, and 56.82% (95% CI, 48.93%-64.71%) for cultured epidermal cell suspension. The rate of repigmentation of greater than 50% after any surgical intervention was 81.01% (95% CI, 78.18%-83.84%). In meta-regression analyses, the treatment response was associated with patient age (estimated slope, -1.1418), subtype of vitiligo (estimated slope, 0.3047), and anatomical sites (estimated slope, -0.4050).

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that surgical intervention can be an effective option for refractory stable vitiligo. An appropriate procedure should be recommended based on patient age, site and size of the lesion, and costs.

Clinicopathological evaluation of the donor area following autologous suction blister epithelial grafting vs Thiersch grafting in vitiligo patients: A preliminary study

Surgical vitiligo treatment is suggested for recalcitrant small stable lesions. One of the limitations of this approach is the presence of large lesions. The donor site should be designed to be hidden without previous or present lesions; this limits donor sites. Aim of the study was to clinically and histopathologically evaluate donor areas 3 months and 1 year after Thiersch grafting (TG) and suction blister epithelial grafting (SBEG). Forty patients with stable vitiligo were equally divided into two groups before TG and SBEG. In each patient, the donor site was clinically and histopathologically evaluated after 3 months and 1 year. After 3 months in Group I, hyperpigmentation, mixed pigmentation with atrophic scarring, hyperpigmentation with hypertrophic scarring, erythema, and tough skin were detected in 10%, 50%, 10%, 10%, and 20% of cases, respectively. The condition improved with time leaving, leaving tough skin in all cases after 1 year. In Group II, hyperpigmentation was observed in all patients after 3 months and disappeared completely after 1 year. Histologically, biopsies taken 3 months after TG, showed increased basal pigmentation with dermal changes mimicking scar tissue in 92.5% of cases. Collagen homogenization of and fragmented elastic tissue were reported in all cases. Biopsies showed the same features after 1 year. In the SBEG group, biopsies revealed only basal hyperpigmentation that disappeared after 1 year in all patients. We concluded that SBEG is a scarless operation and regrafting from the same area can be performed. This is in contrast to TG, which is considered a scarring operation, and wherein the donor site cannot be reused for grafting.