Short-term, High Dose Methylprednisolone and Narrowband UVB Combination Therapy for 2 Patients with Vitiligo

Kim, Yu Jin; Lee, Kyungmoon; Lee, Young; Seo, Young Joon; Lee, Jeunghoon; Park, Jangkyu

Abstract

Systemic corticosteroid arrests the progression of vitiligo and leads to repigmentation, but it may produce side effects. It has been reported that the maximum effect for corticosteroid can be achieved without major side effects when it is used at high doses over a short period of time. Recently, narrowband UVB has been used to treat vitiligo. However, there have been no reports on the effectiveness for a combined treatment with narrowband UVB and systemic corticosteroid. We encountered 2 cases of vitiligo patients who had rapid and effective repigmentation after combination therapy with high dose methylprednisolone and narrowband UVB. Intravenous high dose (25 mg/kg) of methylprednisolone for 3 days was followed by narrowband UVB once or twice weekly. After 2 months, rapid improvements were seen in both patients with >75% repigmentation. Combination treatment with high dose methylprednisolone therapy and narrowband UVB may be an effective therapeutic option for vitiligo.