Phototherapy as a Useful Therapeutic Option in the Treatment of Diphenylcyclopropenone-Induced Vitiligo

The document reports a case of a 34-year-old man with alopecia areata (AA) who developed vitiligo following treatment with diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP), a contact sensitizer used for AA. The patient initially experienced hair regrowth after 24 weeks of DPCP treatment but developed contact eczema and subsequent vitiligo in the treated areas. Attempts to treat the vitiligo with topical and oral steroids were unsuccessful. However, the patient responded well to narrowband UVB phototherapy, which resulted in total repigmentation in the vertex area and approximately 90% repigmentation in other affected sites, along with significant improvement in AA. The case suggests that narrowband UVB phototherapy can be an effective treatment for DPCP-induced vitiligo and AA, providing satisfactory improvement and long-term clinical response for both conditions.