Efficacy of topical vitamin D combined with microneedling in the treatment of vitiligo: A comparative study

AbstractBackgroundVitiligo is a depigmenting disorder caused by the destruction of melanocytes by various mechanisms which affect melanocyte function and survival. Different therapeutic approaches for vitiligo include nonsurgical and surgical methods but effective therapy is still challenging. There are few studies that suggest the role of vitamin D analogs in the repigmentation process with encouraging results. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the effect of topical vitamin D (cholecalciferol) combined with microneedling in the treatment of depigmented patches of vitiligo.Aim of the WorkEvaluate the effect of microneedling alone versus microneedling with topical vitamin D in the treatment of vitiligo.Patients and MethodsA prospective comparative clinical trial was carried out on 25 patients with stable vitiligo; every patient had at least two patches; the first patch was treated with microneedling alone. The other patch was treated with microneedling combined with topical cholecalciferol.ResultsGood‐to‐excellent response was detected in 52% of the patches treated with microneedling topical cholecalciferol, while only in 40% of the patches treated with microneedling alone. The improvement was higher in combined treatment with no significant difference between both groups.ConclusionTopical cholecalciferol is a relatively effective and safe alternative in the treatment of stable vitiligo and its combination with microneedling increases its efficacy.