WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Ali Raoof Oudah*, Ahmed Merzah Oudah AL-Sultani and Ali Shukur Hachim Al-Husseiny

ABSTRACT

Background: Vitiligo is a chronic pigmentary skin condition characterized by the selective loss of melanocytes, resulting in white, hypopigmented macules and patches. It is the primary cause of cutaneous depigmentation, affecting 0.5%-2% of the worldwide population. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) treatment among vitiligo patients in Babylon City. Patients and Methods: This is a cross sectional study that included 108 patients with vitiligo and was conducted in Babylon, Iraq during the period from 14/2/2023 to 17/9/2024. Patients with stable vitiligo and with >5% involvement of body surface area were included. All participating patients received treatment with biweekly applications to either all or particular vitiligo lesions on non-consecutive days. The total duration of treatment continued from 3 – 18 months. Results: Among 223 lesions, 53.4% of patients achieved 90-100% repigmentation, 27.4% had 50-75%, and 19.3% had less than 50%, indicating a favorable treatment response for most patients. Regarding treatment side effects; among 108 patients, 70.4% of patients reported no side effects, while 23.1% experienced non-painful erythema, 4.6% had painful erythema, and 1.9% developed bullous lesions, indicating a predominantly positive safety profile. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that NB-UVB treatment is a safe and effective therapeutic option for vitiligo patients in Babylon City, with a majority of patients achieving significant repigmentation and experiencing minimal side effects.