The Usefulness of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for the Treatment of Vitiligo: State of the Art and Review

Introduction:Vitiligo is an acquired, idiopathic disorder clinically characterized by ame-lanotic lesions on the skin which cause significant impairment of patients’quality of life.A variety of treatments have been proposed, with inconsistent results. In the last decades, the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is receiving increasing interest as a potential effectivetechnique in the treatment of several dermatological diseases, including vitiligo. Objective:We conducted a review with the aim to identify studies that documented the useof PRP for vitiligo. Materials and Methods:Electronic databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE and CochraneCentral Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from inception to November 2019 havebeen searched using different combinations of the following terms:“platelet-rich plasma”,“platelet gel”,“platelet-richfibrin”,“PRP”and“vitiligo”. Results:We identified 6 clinical studies consistent with our research, with a total of 253patients, listing and discussing the obtained results. In all reports, all treated patients showeda stable vitiligo, and a significantly higher improvement in the PRP groups was alwaysobserved compared to control groups. Regarding the side effects, PRP in vitiligo patients isuseful and without important side effects. Conclusion:PRP is a promising treatment for stable vitiligo lesions in different body sites.The possible use of PRP in combination with traditional therapeutic options and thestandardization of processing protocols represents a very fertilefield for future research.Larger clinical trials with longer time of observation would provide solid evidence regardingthe effectiveness of PRP for the treatment of vitiligo.