A randomized prospective study to compare the efficacy of 308-nm light-emitting diode and 308-nm excimer lamp in the treatment of facial vitiligo.

Background: Previous studies have proven that 308-nm light-emitting diode(308-nm LED)and 308-nm excimer lamp(308-nm MEL) are effective in treating vitiligo, but there is a lack of comparison of their efficacy for facial lesions.

Objective: To evaluate and contrast the treatment success rates of 308-nm LED versus 308-nm excimer lamp in managing facial lesions among patients suffering from stable non-segmental vitiligo.

Methods: The enrolled 119 patients with 145 lesions were randomly assigned to receive 308-nm LED or 308-nm MEL for two months. Two independent investigators graded repigmentation at the end of the 2-month treatment period.

Results: There were 76 lesions in the 308-nm LED group and 69 in the 308-nm MEL group. After 1 month, the average repigmentation grade of the 308-nm LED group was 1.34, with an efficacy rate of 11.84%, and the average repigmentation grade of the 308-nm MEL group was 1.17, with an efficacy rate of 7.24%.After two months of phototherapy, the average repigmentation grade of the 308-nm LED group was 2.38, and the effective rate was 42.1%. The average repigmentation grade in the 308-nm MEL group was 2.19, and the effective rate was 39.12%. The two light sources had similar effects on facial vitiligo lesions after 1 month and 2 months of treatment(P =.349, P =.416), and the incidence of side effects was also comparable between the two groups (P =.332).

Conclusion: The 308-nm LED is as effective and safe as 308-nm MEL in treating stable non-segmental facial vitiligo lesions.