Treatment of vitiligo with NB-UVB: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effect and safety of NB-UVB for vitiligo using an evidence-based approach.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the treatment of vitiligo with NB-UVB were identified by searching PubMed and the Cochrane Library. The primary outcome was re-pigmentation degree.

Results: A total of seven RCTs involving 232 participants with vitiligo were included in this systematic review. The methodological qualities of included studies were generally moderate. Two trials compared narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) with UVA control, showing no significant differences between two methods on the number of patients who achieved >60% re-pigmentation [relative risk (RR) = 2.50, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.11–56.97, p > 0.05]. Two trials compared NB-UVB with psoralens plus UVA (PUVA) control, and no difference was seen between the two treatments on the number of patients who achieved >50 re-pigmentation (RR = 1.16, 95% CI: 0.64–2.11, p > 0.05) or >75% re-pigmentation (RR = 2.00, 95% CI: 0.89–4.48, p > 0.05). Three trials compared NB-UVB with 308-nm excimer light/laser (EL) control, and again no significant difference was found between the two methods (p > 0.05). The adverse events of NB-UVB in the included studies were slight and tolerated.

Conclusion: NB-UVB showed equivalent efficacies to UVA, PUVA or 308-nm EL control in the treatment of vitiligo. Side effects of NB-UVB were acceptable. More RCTs were needed to validate the results.

• Randomized controlled trials
• UVB
• vitiligo

Declaration of interest

The authors have no commercial associations that might create a conflict of interest in connection with submitted articles. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

This work was supported by VR Foundation (Grant No.: VRF09012013/01); Public Welfare Programme, Ministry of Health, China (201202013).