Poster: Utility Of Non-Cultured Melanocyte Grafts In The Treatment of Vitiligo (For Professionals)

Poster: Utility Of Non-Cultured Melanocyte Grafts In The Treatment of Vitiligo (For Professionals)

GOAL :

To study the interest of these types of grafts in a retrospective study over 10 years concerning 23 patients (12 male) with a vitiligo (cervi-facial in 60% of cases). The vitligo has been stable for at least 2 years and has not responded to topical steroid treatment nor phototherapy.

METHODS :

Usage of the technique of Gauthier: cutaneous fragments are taken from a donor zone (most often on the scalp). The fragments are then imersed in trypsin for 18 hours at a temperature of 4 degrees Celcius. This results in a mixed cellular suspension of keratinocytes and melanocytes.

On the receiving area, bullae spaced by 4mm are created the preceeding by cryotherapy. The day of the graft, the cellular suspension is directly injected in the bullae.

Following the procedure, a simple “fat” plaster is put on the grafted area for 8 days and an antibiotic prophylaxis of cyclines is given. This is followed by phototherapy (PUVA in 70% of cases, or NBUVB).

The evaluation of results is done by a same expert at 3 months, 6 months and a year.

RESULTS :

3 patients defaulted follow-up.

A repigmentation was noted in 87% of cases :

-partial repigmentation was observed in 65% of cases (n=13).

-total repigmentation was observed in 35% of cases (n=7).

CONCLUSION:

-Efficacy of treatment of vitiligo by mixed cellular grafts.

Declared conflict of interest: none on the poster

Contributors:

Dr Christophe HSU – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland

Source de l’information (French): Poster (Cheikhrouhou H et al.). Journées Dermatologiques de Paris 2009.