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Comparative study of flip-top transplantation and punch grafting in stable vitiligo
Sudhanshu Sharma1, Vijay K Garg, Rashmi Sarkar
1Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Maulana Azad Medical College and L.N.J.P. Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Background:
Because of limitations of medical treatment in vitiligo, various surgical techniques have been devised. There is a scarcity of comparative studies of surgical techniques in vitiligo.
Objective:
To compare the effectiveness and side-effect profile of flip-top transplantation (FTT) and punch grafting (PG) in patients with stable vitiligo.
Materials And Methods:
Twenty patients with stable vitiligo were treated using PG and FTT on 26 lesions; 156 grafts were taken (78 PG, 78 flip-top grafts). They were graded for response in the form of repigmentation as excellent (91-100%), very good (76-90%), good (51-75%), fair (31-50%), poor (<30%). Onset and maximum pigment spread were observed.
Results:
Sixty-five percent of our patients showed excellent repigmentation with FTT, versus 50% with PG (p = .44). Thirty percent of patients with FTT and 40% with PG had side effects. The differences in onset of repigmentation, completion, and pigment spread between the two techniques were statistically significant (p < .001).
Conclusions:
Flip-top transplantation was equally effective as PG for treating vitiligo, although graft uptake rate was higher with FTT, with more pigment spread, and cost less.
