Cultured epidermal autografts for treatment of stable vitiligo: Quantitative analysis of color matching with surrounding normally pigmented skin

Cultured epidermal autografts (CEA) are surgical therapeutic alternatives for patients with stable vitiligo resistant to conventional medical treatments. In the present study, we assessed color matching before and at 12 months after CEA treatment. Eleven patients with 16 vitiligo lesions were included in this prospective study. The recipient sites were prepared by CO(2) laser superficial ablation and subjected to CEA application. We clinically evaluated and categorized the color matching of the repigmented skin as well as the percentage of repigmentation. We also obtained three color values (L*a*b*) for the vitiligo lesions and surrounding normally pigmented skin. We then calculated the color differences between the two regions and compared them before and at 12 months after treatment. The mean percentage of repigmentation was 63.3% at 12 months. Six of the 16 lesions were categorized as “same as” and had color difference values of ≤5 at 12 months after treatment. Clinical evaluation of the color matching coincided well with the calculated color difference values. CEA application after CO(2) laser superficial ablation was useful for treating vitiligo assessed by the percentage of repigmentation and color matching. Quantification of color differences may be a useful parameter for evaluating color matching in vitiligo.