Portable home phototherapy for vitiligo

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Photomedicine

Background:

• Vitiligo is a common depigmentation disorder with no definitive cure.
• Current European guidelines suggest early treatment for small, recent lesions using phototherapy and topical agents.
• Implementing these guidelines requires accessible phototherapy equipment, like portable hand-held devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and pilot an educational package for home phototherapy in vitiligo patients.
• To assess patient willingness to participate in home phototherapy trials.
• To evaluate treatment adherence and repigmentation rates in a home phototherapy setting.

Main Methods:

• A pilot randomized controlled multicenter trial was conducted.
• An educational package was developed to guide patients on home phototherapy use, dosage adjustment, and side effect management.
• Patient participation, adherence, and repigmentation were assessed.

Main Results:

• Vitiligo patients showed high willingness to participate in home phototherapy trials.
• Excellent treatment adherence and significant repigmentation rates were observed.
• Mean device outputs were lower post-trial than pre-trial, necessitating medical physics collaboration.

Conclusions:

• Home phototherapy with hand-held devices is a feasible and potentially effective treatment option for vitiligo.
• This approach may enable earlier treatment initiation at home, potentially improving repigmentation outcomes.
• Further definitive trials are warranted based on the pilot study's success.