Comparative Study of Flip-top Transplantation and Punch Grafting in Stable Vitiligo

Background Because of limitations of medical treatment in vitiligo, various surgical techniques have been devised. There is a scarcity of comparative studies of surgical techniques in vitiligo. Objective To compare the effectiveness and side-effect profile of flip-top transplantation (FTT) and punch grafting (PG) in patients with stable vitiligo. Materials and Methods Twenty patients with stable vitiligo were treated using PG and FTT on 26 lesions; 156 grafts were taken (78 PG, 78 flip-top grafts). They were graded for response in the form of repigmentation as excellent (91-100%), very good (76-90%), good (51-75%), fair (31-50%), poor (<30%). Onset and maximum pigment spread were observed. Results Sixty-five percent of our patients showed excellent repigmentation with FTT, versus 50% with PG (p=.44). Thirty percent of patients with FTT and 40% with PG had side effects. The differences in onset of repigmentation, completion, and pigment spread between the two techniques were statistically significant (p<.001). Conclusions Flip-top transplantation was equally effective as PG for treating vitiligo, although graft uptake rate was higher with FTT, with more pigment spread, and cost less.