Therapeutic Comparison between Sun Irradiation vs. Narrowband UVB Phototherapy along with Concomitant Topical Tacalcitol for Vitiligo Vulgaris

In addition to therapeutic options such as steroid ointment, immunosuppressive drug and ultraviolet phototherapy, recent reports have demonstrated the clinical efficacy of topical vitamin D3 for vitiligo vulgaris. However, there seems to be little clinical effect of vitamin D3 without UV exposure. In the present study, we evaluated the clinical difference of sun irradiation vs. narrowband UVB in combination with tacalcitol assessing the change of lesion size and color tone by a spectrophotometer. Thirty-three vitiligo patients were composed of 19 treated with sun illumination and 14 treated with narrowband UVB in combination with topical use of tacalcitol. The mean % size reduction was higher in the group of sunbathing than narrowband UVB (29% vs. 23%). Delta L score, which represented the difference of whiteness between lesional and perilesional skin, was significantly improved after treatment in the group of sun irradiation instead of narrowband UVB (p = 0.0023). Therefore, we consider that sun illumination along with tacalcitol may be able to induce natural repigmentation and be an alternative therapeutic option for vitiligo vulgaris.