Ultrathin Skin Grafting Versus Suction Blister Epidermal Grafting in the Treatment of Resistant Stable Vitiligo: A Self-Controlled Comparative Study.

Background: Surgical therapies are effective methods to treat resistant stable vitiligo, with each method having advantages and disadvantages.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of ultrathin skin grafting (UTSG) and suction blister epidermal grafting (SBEG) to treat stable vitiligo.

Methods: A total of 15 patients with 45 vitiligo patches were recruited. Each vitiligo patch was divided in half; 1 half was treated by UTSG, whereas the other half was treated by SBEG. The patients were followed up monthly for 3 months to assess the repigmentation rate, relative melanin index (RMI), and relative erythema index (REI) at different timepoints.

Results: Excellent repigmentation was observed in 97.8% of patches that underwent UTSG and 93.3% that underwent SBEG. The RMI and REI at 1, 2, and 3 months after the grafting procedure did not significantly differ between the 2 methods. At the recipient site, incomplete fall-off of the graft occurred in 4.4% of patches that underwent UTSG, whereas a "cobblestone appearance" was observed in 66.7% of patches that underwent SEBG. UTSG caused fewer complications at the donor site than SBEG.

Conclusion: Compared with SBEG, UTSG is faster and achieves better cosmetic outcomes at the recipient and donor sites.