Suction Blister Grafting

Punch Grafting

Needling

Ultra-thin epidermal sheet grafts can be removed using an instrument called a             dermatome.  These sheets are transferred onto denuded Vitiligo areas.

Autologous cultured epidermal cell grafting is a technique where epidermis grown in the laboratory is grafted onto areas of pigment loss, after surgically removing the epidermis from the involved area.  With this technique, pigment cells are grown from skin obtained from a punch biopsy specimen usually behind the ear.   The facilities for culture however are expensive, available at few centres, and need technical support.

Non-cultured melanocyte rich epidermal cell suspensions may be made up from epidermis removed from a donor area.  These cells are grafted directly onto denuded epidermis in a Vitiligo area.  The first two patients in South Africa were treated with this technique in September 2011.  A laboratory is in the process of being set up to provide this procedure as routine.  Watch this space for further details.