Various dermatosurgical interventions in stable vitiligo

It has been reported that the profound psychological effect results in a significant number of subjects under-achieving their potential. Due to the psychosocial milieu of the developing countries being different from that of the developed countries, the stigma associated with vitiligo is possibly more severe in colored races living in most of the developing world. Since the time of Hippocrates (480-377 BC), medicine and surgery were complementary and physicians viewed surgery as a necessary form of treatment in some circumstances, as illustrated in this quotation: What drugs fail to cure that the knife cures, what the knife cures not, that the fire cures; but what the fire fails to cure, this disease must be called incurable. Therefore, surgical modalities have evolved as an option in managing stable vitiligo patients with incomplete repigmentation and those with vitiligo refractory to medical treatment. The period of stability is considered by various dermatologists who have varied from a period of 3 months to 3 years. Various dermatosurgical techniques will be discussed in this presentation performed in day to day dermatosurgical practices such as (1) Punch grafting, (2) Autologous epidermal grafting, (3) Suction blister epidermal grafting and (4) Vitiligo Tattooing

Author(s): Anil Kumar Jha

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