INEFFECTIVENESS OF TOPICAL KHELLIN IN PHOTOCHEMOTHERAPY OF VITILIGO

This study was carried out in order to determine whether topically app lied khellin followed by UVA exposure is effective for vitiligo treatm ent. A group of 40 patients with symmetrical vitiligo patches, applied 5% khellin cream or 3% khellin in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (PYR) to o ne side of the body and the vehicle only as placebo to the other side before each session of irradiation. A second group of 32 patients with asymmetrical vitiligo patches applied the vehicle only, an o/w cream or PYR before each session of irradiation. The irradiations were perfo rmed every other day. Repigmentation, estimated both clinically and ph otographically, was similar on vitiligo patches treated with khellin a nd on those treated only with the vehicle. The mean total dose able to induce initial follicular repigmentation was 550 J/cm(2) (range 100-9 50 J/cm(2)), administered over 3 months (range 1-5 months). In conclus ion, topical application of khellin did not induce repigmenttion of vi tiligo patches, whose response to therapy seems to be due to UVA irrad iation alone.