A comparison of TCS-NB-UVB and TCI-NB-UVB combination therapies for vitiligo treatment

Background and objectives. Combination therapy in vitiligo using narrowband UVB and topical tacrolimus, topical vitamin D3, and topical corticosteroid is more effective compared to monotherapy. This study aimed to understand the effectiveness of combination therapy between TCS and NB-UVB with TCI and NB-UVB by assessing the improvement in percentage of skin repigmentation and patients’ quality of life (QoL). Materials and methods. This is a non-randomized preliminary study with the limitation of a small sample size and short-term observation involving 40 vitiligo outpatients observed for three months. Demographics assessed include age, gender, and VASI score. The QoL was assessed using the Viti-QoL questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done using the Mann-Whitney test. Results. No significant difference was observed in age and gender between the groups. Most patients had acrofacial vitiligo. The mean VASI score in the TCI group was 0.84, while the VASI score in the TCS group was 0.5. A significant difference was observed in the improvement of QoL between TCI-NB-UVB and TCS-NB-UVB groups. A similar trend was seen in both groups with the therapy success rate between 50% and 75% repigmentation, with no significant difference reported between groups. Phototherapy, either as monotherapy or combination therapy, is effective in improving the QoL of vitiligo patients. This study adds information about the best combination options for vitiligo because related data is still limited. Conclusions. No significant difference was observed between TCI-NB-UVB and TCS-NB-UVB combination therapy in the improvement of skin repigmentation and patients’ QoL. Further research with a larger sample size and longer duration is needed to strengthen this research