A Prospective Observational Comparative Study of Novel Autologous Negative Pressure Epidermal Harvesting System (ANPEHS or EHS) and Suction Blister Grafting (SBG) in Treatment of Stable Vitiligo

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo surgery has evolved a long way from punch skin grafts to the epidermal cell suspension and latest to the extracted hair follicle outer root sheath cell suspension transplantation (EHFORSCS). In the latest development, the novel technique autologous negative pressure epidermal harvesting system (ANPEHS) seems to be a good addition to the prevailing therapy in vitiligo. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to study and compare novel ANPEHS and suction blister grafting (SBG) in the treatment of stable vitiligo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, single-centered, observational, open-labeled comparative study of the rate and final extent of repigmentation in ANPEHS or EHS and SBG in the management of stable vitiligo. The patients in this study were drawn from the outpatient Department of Dermatology of a Tertiary Care Hospital of the Armed Forces from July 1 2015 to December 31, 2016. A total of 40 patients with at least two comparable depigmented patches of 6 months’ stability were recruited. Both procedures were performed in the same patient on the same day. Informed consents were taken from all the patients. Each patient in the study had undergone a detailed clinical, general physical, systemic, and a dermatological examination. Clinical photographs had been taken before and after grafting, monthly for the first 6 months then bimonthly for the next 6 months. Donor site was preferably inner aspect of thigh. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: “Chi-square test” and “statistical significance” (P value) methods. RESULTS: Of total 80 patches, excellent results were seen in 82.9% patches by using the EHS method and 80% excellent results by using the SBG method. Similarly, very good results were seen in 2.9% patches and good results in 5.7% patches by using both methods. 11.4% patches showed poor results by using the SBG method and 8.6% patches showed poor results by using the EHS method. CONCLUSIONS: The EHS method is a simple, painless, less time-consuming, expensive but effective technique to produce homogeneous repigmentation without any donor site anesthesia and complication.