Vitiligo — Fractional Laser in Combination With UVB Therapy in Vitiligo Patients
Citation(s)
Alikhan A, Felsten LM, Daly M, Petronic-Rosic V Vitiligo: a comprehensive overview Part I. Introduction, epidemiology, quality of life, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, associations, histopathology, etiology, and work-up. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2011 Sep;65(3):473-91. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2010.11.061. Review.
Bayoumi W, Fontas E, Sillard L, Le Duff F, Ortonne JP, Bahadoran P, Lacour JP, Passeron T Effect of a preceding laser dermabrasion on the outcome of combined therapy with narrowband ultraviolet B and potent topical steroids for treating nonsegmental vitiligo in resistant localizations. Br J Dermatol. 2012 Jan;166(1):208-11. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10564.x. Epub 2011 Nov 17.
Farajzadeh S, Daraei Z, Esfandiarpour I, Hosseini SH The efficacy of pimecrolimus 1% cream combined with microdermabrasion in the treatment of nonsegmental childhood vitiligo: a randomized placebo-controlled study. Pediatr Dermatol. 2009 May-Jun;26(3):286-91. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1470.2009.00926.x.
Garg T, Chander R, Jain A Combination of microdermabrasion and 5-fluorouracil to induce repigmentation in vitiligo: an observational study. Dermatol Surg. 2011 Dec;37(12):1763-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.2011.02127.x. Epub 2011 Aug 11.
Shin J, Lee JS, Hann SK, Oh SH Combination treatment by 10 600 nm ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser and narrowband ultraviolet B in refractory nonsegmental vitiligo: a prospective, randomized half-body comparative study. Br J Dermatol. 2012 Mar;166(3):658-61. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10723.x. Epub 2012 Jan 19.
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
