Effectiveness of a combined 308-nm excimer lamp and topical mid-potent steroid treatment for facial vitiligo: a preliminary, randomized double-blinded controlled study

Facial vitiligo has considerable psychological and emotional impacts. Though topical corticosteroids are the mainstay treatment, adverse reactions are a concern for prolonged use. Additionally, 308-nm excimer lamps have been widely used in vitiligo. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a combined 308-nm excimer lamp and topical steroid therapy compared with the lamp alone for treating facial vitiligo. Symmetrical, nonsegmental facial vitiligo subjects were recruited. All facial lesions were irradiated with a 308-nm excimer lamp twice weekly for a total of 24 sessions. The lesions on each side of the face were randomly allocated to have topical mometasone furoate cream or the cream base alone applied once daily for 12 weeks. Clinical improvement was evaluated by a blinded dermatologist and the participants. A total of sixteen sides of the face were assessed in the study. By the 12th week, 87.5% of the lesions treated with the combination regimen and 50% of the lesions treated with monotherapy showed good to excellent repigmentation. From the subjects’ perspectives, there were significant differences between both treatments at week 4 and week 8 (p = 0.05) but not at week 12. No serious adverse effects were reported. A combination of excimer lamp therapy and once-daily application of topical mometasone cream was effective and could accelerate the treatment outcomes without serious adverse reactions. This may be an alternative regimen for treating facial vitiligo.