Comparison of the efficacy of psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA) and narrow-band ultraviolet B (NBUVB) in the treatment of patients with vitiligo: A clinical trial

Vitiligo is a common pigmentary disorder that melanocytes are destroyed. Treatment of vitiligo depends on the extent of the disease and its distribution pattern. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of PUVA and NBUVB in patients with vitiligo.
A clinical trial has been performed on 60 patients with vitiligo referred to Bouali hospital and Mehrgan laser center in 1392 and treated with UVB and PUVA therapy methods. In first group treated with PUVA, oral tablets containing 8-methoxypsoralen were taken 3 hours before phototherapy twice a week. The second group was treated with NBUVB twice a week.
In patients treated with PUVA, 40% and in patients treated with NBUVB, 43.3% were male. Seventeen (56.7%) of patients treated with PUVA had generalized vitiligo, 30% of them had segmental Vitiligo and 13.3% had focal Vitiligo. Seventeen (56.7%) patients that were treated with NBUVB generalized vitiligo, 30% had segmental and 10% had focal vitiligo. Repigmentation was significantly higher in patients treated with NBUVB than PUVA 3 and 6 months after initiation of treatment (P NBUVB is superior to PUVA in treatment complications and its recovery rate was acceptable.