Background: Vitiligo is not uncommon in southern Saudi Arabia. The response of Saudi patients to PUVA therapy has not been previously assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate this response.
Methods: This is a retrospective study for the period of 1990-2001 in which 32 patients were included: Data were collected from the patients' records, including: age, sex, age at onset of disease, type of vitiligo, cumulative dose, maintenance dose, total number of sessions, number of sessions to induce pigmentation, treatment duration, and response rate.
Results: The overall response rate was 59.4%. The most sensitive sites were the face, trunk, arms, and legs, while the most resistant sites were the hands, feet, and perioroficial areas (perioral and periorbital). Acute complications occurred in 59.4%, while chronic complications occurred in 78.1%. Analysis of the factors that affect the response rate showed that age, sex, the disease duration, and the treatment duration did not affect the response rate, while the surface area and the number of sessions to induce pigmentation showed a positive relation.
Conclusions: PUVA is still considered as the most appropriate and effective treatment for vitiligo. Saudi patients showed good response to treatment in general. Some sites such as the face, trunk, arms, and legs showed sensitivity to therapy, while hands, feet, and periorificial areas showed resistance to therapy. Generalized type was the best type to respond, followed by the periorificial type. Acral and segmental types were very resistant to therapy.