Treatment of idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis with Er:YAG 2940nm laser alone or combined to piperine drug delivery: a pilot and comparative study

INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis is an acquired leukoderma, whose available therapeutic options have inconsistent results.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of isolated or combined ablative fractionated laser to drug delivery of piperine for treatment of idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective and comparative study, seven patients with idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis in the legs were elected, andfive lesions were selected on each leg of each. Both legs of each patient were submitted to two Er:YAG 2940nm laser sessions, followed by drug delivery of piperine 20% only in the right leg. Blind evaluators conducted the assessment through photographs and comparative measurements of the lesions.
RESULTS: The lesion size ranged from 0.2cm to 1.5 cm. Both treatments significantly reduced lesion size (p< 0.00008, right leg;p< 0.002, left leg). Thegeneralized estimating equation method showed that there was no statistical difference between the groups regarding the reduction of lesion size. The evaluation achieved better scores for the right leg (laser + piperine) (p=0.126).
CONCLUSION: Although statistically significant differences were not found between the side treated with laser and drug delivery versus the side treated only with laser, we believe that the technique may represent an option in the therapeutic arsenal.

Keywords: Administration, topical; Drug administration routes; Lasers