In a retrospective study, researchers found that large part of the skin treated with surgery still had a good to excellent color match pigmentation in next five years. Some of the treated areas like face, neck, hands, legs, feet etc. Nature of the skin, age of the person, region of vitiligo had no expressive effect on the result of repigmentation.
A surgery namely melanocyte-keratinocyte transplantation (or) MKTP, during this surgery melanocyte cells which are responsible for giving color to the skin, hair are harvested from the healthy, pigmented areas of the body and transferred to the area that lost its pigment. Repigmentation starts within two months after surgery. MKTP works for longer time, it is the better technology to treat vitilgo than any other technologies.
Vitiligo develops when melanocyte cells are killed by the body’s immune system, causing the area of skin to turn white because the cells no longer make pigment. White Lesions may vary in their size and location- hands, arms, face etc, it is prominent in people with dark skin. Vitiligo is of two types namely segmental and nonsegmental. Segmental vitiligo appears on one part, or a segment of the body. Nonsegmental vitiligo is a common type and appears both the sides of the skin like hands, knees.
Latest study believed to be the first in the United States to evaluate MKTP’s long term benefit. Researchers analyzed repigmentation results in 63 vitiligo patients who experiences MKTP between January 2009 and April 2014.
• 71 percent repigmentation was maintained in 45 segmental vitiligo lesions five years after surgery.
• 64 percent repigmentation was maintained in 90 nonsegmental vitiligo lesions five years after surgery.
• 75 percent repigmentation was maintained in all vitiligo lesions at two, four and five years after surgery.
It demonstrated the potential for restoring pigmentation, in eight patients with a specific type of vitiligo, the treated areas regain its natural color on average 75 percent after six months.
Since the early years, to maximize the potensial for Repigmentation by MKTP technique has sophisticated with Dr. Hamzavi and his team. Nowadays mostly laser is using to remove the white vitiligo lesions and prepare to receive new melanocytic cells.