The minigrafting test for vitiligo: Detection of stable lesions for melanocyte transplantation

Background: Selected patients with stable and refractory vitiligo may consider melanocyte transplantation as a therapeutic alternative. A method to anticipate the response to surgical repair is not available. Objective: We evaluated the pigment spread of minigrafts when implanted within achromic les...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 1995-02, Vol.32 (2), p.228-232
Main Authors: Falabella, Rafael, Arrunategui, Adriana, Barona, Maria I, Alzate, Alberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Age Factors
Age of Onset
Biological and medical sciences
Dermatology
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Melanins - metabolism
Melanocytes - metabolism
Melanocytes - transplantation
Pigmentary diseases of the skin
Recurrence
Skin - metabolism
Skin - pathology
Skin Pigmentation
Skin Transplantation - methods
Vitiligo - metabolism
Vitiligo - pathology
Vitiligo - surgery
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Summary:Background: Selected patients with stable and refractory vitiligo may consider melanocyte transplantation as a therapeutic alternative. A method to anticipate the response to surgical repair is not available. Objective: We evaluated the pigment spread of minigrafts when implanted within achromic lesions of stable vitiligo as a test to identify good candidates for surgical repigmentation. Methods: Four to six minigrafts of 1.0 to 1.2 mm were implanted within lesions of patients with unilateral (localized) and bilateral (generalized) vitiligo. Pigment spread was assessed 3 months later. Results: Forty-seven subjects were examined. In unilateral vitiligo 19 of 20 patients (95%) had a positive test result in comparison with only 13 of 27 patients (48%) with bilateral vitiligo ( p = 0.002). Conclusion: The minigrafting test is a reliable tool to identify patients with stable vitiligo who may respond to melanocyte transplantation. Unilateral (localized) vitiligo is the best indication for surgical repigmentation.
ISSN:0190-9622
1097-6787
DOI:10.1016/0190-9622(95)90131-0