Treatment of Refractory Segmental Vitiligo and Alopecia Areata in a Child with Upadacitinib and NB-UVB: A Case Report

This case report details the successful treatment of a 9-year-old girl with refractory segmental vitiligo and alopecia areata using upadacitinib combined with narrow band-ultraviolet B (NB-UVB). The patient showed significant improvement, with a 70% reduction in lesion area after seven months of treatment. Upadacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, was effective in reducing the white patches and promoting hair regrowth, with only a transient increase in creatine kinase as an adverse effect. This case suggests that upadacitinib could be a promising treatment for children with these co-occurring autoimmune skin diseases, though larger studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and safety.