In people with vitiligo, certain parts of the body become depigmented, showing completely white skin in the form of scattered spots. It’s actually a reaction of the immune system that destroys melanocytes, the cells that give skin, hair and eyes their color. This destruction occurs in localized places, giving rise to sorts of totally white spots on the rest of the colored skin.
To remedy this, doctors at Henry Ford Hospital in the United States are grafting pieces of their own skin to patients. They take correctly pigmented areas of the epidermis and replace them on the discolored areas. After two months, the area treated by this surgery begins to recreate melanocytes and regain color.
The treated areas are permanently repigmented
In a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, the researchers observe that the results remain excellent or very good five years after the procedure. The repigmentation is maintained in 75% of cases after this time for 63 patients operated between 2009 and 2014. For the time being, only the Henry Ford center offers this technique in North America, but these results could help to democratize it. Other treatments consist of topical skin medications, light therapy or depigmentation, but these are not always effective. “The melanocyte and keratinocyte transplantation technique, or MKTP, works and lasts over time. It is better than any other technology we have to treat this disease,” said Iltefat Hamzavi, dermatologist and lead author of the study. If vitiligo is not serious or contagious, it can make life difficult for patients because the discolored spots attract stigmatizing stares and derogatory remarks. This treatment could therefore bring a real comfort of life for the patients.
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