For patients with acral vitiligo, the combination of fractional ablative CO2 and 5 fluorouracil (5FU) cream proved effective and safe, according to a study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. Ragia Weshahy, PhD, and colleagues conducted a study of 30 patients with non-segmented vitiligo with acral lesions. For 5 consecutive days, each patient was treated with fractional carbon dioxide laser treatment followed by application of 5FU cream. Patients were evaluated 3 weeks from the start of treatment and 12 weeks after the last treatment session using the Vitiligo Extent Score for a Target Area (VESTA) score. Patient photos were also evaluated by blinded investigation in addition to self-reported satisfaction scores. “Patients showed significant improvement of VESTA score and developed [a] considerable degree of re-pigmentation as assessed by blinded investigators,” the study authors wrote.
