Young Vitiligo Patients Face Hurdles to UVB Therapy

TOPLINE:

In a survey of pediatric patients with vitiligo, only 51.4% were offered narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy, and 45.1% received this treatment before the age of 18 years. The main barriers were lack of treatment offers, limited physical access, and cost.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted an online survey of 111 pediatric patients with vitiligo (mean age at diagnosis, 9.29 years) to assess the use of NB-UVB phototherapy, used to manage vitiligo that is widespread or spreading rapidly.
• Patients or their caregivers completed a REDCap questionnaire at two dermatology clinic sites between September 2023 and April 2024.
• Survey questions included multiple choice, Yes/No, and fill-in-the-blank formats, designed to assess treatment access, utilization, and barriers to care.

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, 51.4% of patients were offered NB-UVB before the age of 18 years, and 45.1% used it for vitiligo treatment.
• Among patients younger than 18, younger children were more likely than older ones to be offered (80% vs 51.4%) and to use (66.7% vs 42.9%) NB-UVB therapy.
• Treatment discontinuation was attributed to satisfaction with skin repigmentation (26.0%), difficulty keeping appointments (22.0%), and dissatisfaction with treatment (22.0%).
• About 73% of participants expressed interest in home-based phototherapy, but 67.6% responded that they could not afford it when told the cost was an estimated $3000-$5000. Distance to treatment and cost were major barriers for 64% and 56.8% of respondents, respectively.

IN PRACTICE:

The study results “suggest high patient interest but low awareness and access to NB-UVB,” the authors wrote. “As novel therapies for vitiligo emerge, it is important to ensure equitable access, including to the pediatric population, to optimize treatment outcomes and improve quality of life,” they concluded.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Kristin A. Tissera, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. It was published online on March 18, 2025, in Pediatric Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study had a low response rate and limited geographic and socioeconomic representation. Selection and recall biases may have affected the results, and excimer laser use was not assessed.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was supported by the Weston Career Development Award from the Society for Pediatric Dermatology/Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance. Three authors reported serving on advisory boards or consulting for various companies, including Apogee, Skin Analytics, Alys Pharmaceuticals, and Sanofi.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.