Treatment of 308-nm excimer laser on vitiligo: A systemic review of randomized controlled trials

Background: Vitiligo is an acquired cutaneous hypopigmentary disorder, which characterized by solitary or multiple depigmented maculae or patches. The 308-nm excimer laser has been used as phototherapy on vitiligo. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 308-nm excimer laser on vitiligo. Methods: Randomized controlled trials were searched to conduct a systematic review. The keywords were identified as laser/excimer laser/quasimolecule/XeCl'' and vitiligo''. Results: Seven studies with 390 vitiligo patients were included. No significant differences were seen between 308-nm excimer laser and 308-nm excimer lamp on either >= 75% or >= 50% re-pigmentation rate, or between 308-nm excimer laser and narrowband-ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) on either 100% or >= 75% re-pigmentation rate. More patients or lesions achieved >= 50% re-pigmentation rate by 308-nm excimer laser treatment than by NB-UVB treatment. The side effects of 308-nm excimer laser were slight and tolerable. Conclusions: The 308-nm excimer laser showed equivalent efficacies to 308-nm excimer lamp control and NB-UVB control concerning >= 75% re-pigmentation rate of vitiligo patches. More studies with high methodological quality, low risk of bias and more sample size are needed to confirm the conclusion.