Microneedling + 5-Fluorouracil Effective Vitiligo Treatment

THURSDAY, March 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Microneedling in combination with 5-fluorouracil is a safe and effective treatment for vitiligo, according to a study published online March 12 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Mary Mina, from Tanta University in Egypt, and colleagues studied the efficacy of microneedling followed by treatment with 5-fluorouracil versus treatment with tacrolimus, among 25 patients with vitiligo. Each patient had two patches microneedled with a dermapen before having one patch treated with an application of 5-fluorouracil and the other patch treated with tacrolimus. Patients had treatment every two weeks for a maximum of six months (12 sessions) and were followed for an additional three months.

The researchers found that overall repigmentation was significantly higher in the patches treated with 5-fluorouracil compared with tacrolimus. Excellent improvement was seen in 48 percent of the 5-fluorouracil-treated patches versus 16 percent of tacrolimus-treated patches. Similarly, in the acral parts, excellent improvement was seen in 40 percent of the patches treated with 5-fluorouracil versus no patches in the acral parts treated with tacrolimus. However, there were significantly more adverse reactions with 5-fluorouracil, including inflammation, ulceration, and hyperpigmentation.

“Microneedling combined with 5-fluorouracil or tacrolimus is safe and effective treatment of vitiligo,” the authors write.

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