Portable home phototherapy for vitiligo

Vitiligo is the most common depigmentation disorder, affecting around 1% of population worldwide. There is no cure, and no firm clinical recommendations can be made for the treatment of vitiligo. A European guideline suggests early treatment of small lesions of recent onset and childhood vitiligo with combination of phototherapy and topical agents. Suitable facilities and equipment, such as hand-held portable phototherapy devices, are needed, if this new guideline is to be implemented. Hand-held units are suitable for small lesions, making phototherapy available for patients with limited and/or early vitiligo. Recently, a pilot randomized controlled multicenter trial study was conducted to develop an educational package for patients describing how to use phototherapy at home, adjust the dose, and manage short-term side effects. The pilot trial showed that vitiligo patients are very keen to participate in trials of home phototherapy. The study has successfully demonstrated willingness of participants to be randomized and very good treatment adherence and repigmentation rates, providing evidence of feasibility for a definitive trial. The mean post-trial outputs of hand-held phototherapy devices were lower than the pretrial values. Close collaboration with a local medical physics department is essential. Hand-held phototherapy devices might overcome the need to treat vitiligo in hospital-based phototherapy cabinets and allow early treatment at home that may enhance the likelihood of successful repigmentation.