Perigraft Halo Phenomenon After Melanocyte-Keratinocyte Transplantation in Vitiligo

Noncultured melanocyte keratinocyte transplantation (MKTP) is an important therapeutic modality for therapy-resistant stable vitiligo. Perigraft halo (PGH) commonly occurs after MKTP but studies tackling PGH are limited.

To characterize PGH after MKTP for vitiligo and identify some risk factors.

This was a retrospective study of patients with stable vitiligo who underwent MKTP. PGH was defined as the presence of white rim at the periphery of the treated lesion 3 months after surgery. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent factors associated with PGH.

The study included 223 patients. Women were 148 (66.4%) and the mean age was 24.4 ± 8.9 years. PGH was present in 42 patients (18.8%). The head and neck, feet, and lower extremity were the most common sites with PGH. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that MKTP performed on the feet significantly increased the odds of PGH (OR 5.856, 95% CI: 2.242-15.292, p value < .001).

PGH is a relatively frequent complication after MKTP, especially when performed on the feet. The follow-up duration might not have been long enough to show some positive effects of the various post-MKTP interventions. Longer follow-up studies are warranted to evaluate preventive strategies.