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Pigment cell transplantation for treatment of vitiligo: a progress report
W Löntz1, M J Olsson, G Moellmann
1Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8059.
Background:
Because available treatments for vitiligo generally provide unsatisfactory results, the search for viable therapeutic alternatives continues.
Objective:
Our purpose was to evaluate several transplantation procedures with cultured autologous melanocytes for their practicality in treating patients with vitiligo.
Methods:
Twenty-seven patients with stable or active vitiligo were treated after superficial dermabrasion with application of suspensions of autologous cultured melanocytes, melanocyte-keratinocyte mixtures, or epidermal sheets established in vitro.
Results:
Regardless of disease activity, use of each method resulted in repigmentation to a similar degree and without scarring in all patients. Melanocyte suspensions offer several advantages: They are easily prepared, can be applied in a controlled manner, permit coverage of large areas, and produce a homogeneous skin color that affords the best cosmetic restoration. The ultrastructure of transplant sites resembled that of uninvolved skin, with one exception: the melanocytes were located slightly higher than in uninvolved skin.
Conclusion:
Application of cultured autologous melanocytes to lightly abraded skin is an advantageous addition to the treatments available for patients with vitiligo.
