Evaluation of topical khellin photochemotherapy for vitiligo

The aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness of topical khellin applications followed by UVA exposures for treatment of vitiligo. Nine patients, with symmetric depignented patches, applied 5% khellin cream on one side of the body and only the vehicle on the other side before each irradiative session. Another group of 14 patients with asymmetric localization of the patches, received only the vehicle before each irradiation. As ultraviolet-A source, a bank of six Philips TL09/40 W was employed. The patients underwent the irradiative session every two days for 9 months; the mean total dose able to induce an initial follicular repigmentation was, on an average, 550 J/cm2 (range 100-950 J/cm 2), equal to three months of therapy (range 1-5 months). These results show that, at least with the drug concentration and the vehicle used, there is no difference among areas treated with khellin and the control ones, and that the repigmentation observed is only due to UVA exposure.