Treatment of stable vitiligo by ReCell system

The aim of our study was to analyze the results obtained with the ReCell system for surgical treatment of stable vitiligo. At Department of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery, University of Tor Vergata in Rome, we treated 15 patients with stable vitiligo during a 2-year period. The stability of vitiligo lesions varied between 1 and 4 years. The mean stability was 2.25. The disease activity according to Vitiligo Disease Activity Score (VIDA) was 0 in all cases, which means that all patients had a stability of greater than or equal to 1 year. Three (20%) patients had vitiligo vulgaris, seven (46.6%) segmental vitiligo and five (33.3%) focal vitiligo. Repigmentation was assessed using the Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (VASI). The extent of pigmentation was scored as excellent, good, fair, and poor depending on the percentage of repigmentation in the previously depigmented site. The color of the repigmented area was compared with the adjacent normally pigmented area: excellent color match was present in ten (66.6%) and good in five (33.3%) cases. There was no fair or poor outcome. Repigmentation greater than 75% was recorded in 12 (80%) and 25% to 50% repigmentation in three (20%) of 15 patients treated. ReCell is a feasible, simple and safe technique. The method that uses noncultured autologous epidermal suspension is simpler, less expensive, less time consuming, and does not require sophisticated laboratory facilities as compared with the methods employing cultured melanocytes.