Effectiveness of topical calcipotriol (0.005%) ointment with or without narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy in patients with alopecia areata: a randomized evaluator-blinded placebo-controlled trial

Background Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, and autoimmunity is widely accepted as the pathogenesis of the same. Vitamin D deficit at receptor level has been noticed in patients with AA recently. Potential of topical vitamin D as a treatment option for AA may be evaluated in clinical trials. Objective To compare effectiveness and safety of topical calcipotriol (0.005%) with or without narrowband ultraviolet B (NBUVB) (311 nm) phototherapy with placebo in patients with AA. Patients and methods The patients with AA having any Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score were randomized into three treatment arms: group A patients (24 patients) received topical calcipotriol (0.005%) ointment daily, group B patients (24 patients) received topical calcipotriol (0.005%) ointment daily and NBUVB twice weekly, and group C patients (12 patients) received placebo for 12 weeks. Percentage of improvement in SALT score, changes in total hair count, and patient satisfaction grading was compared at 6- and 12-week duration among the study groups. Results On an average, improvements of 52.8, 69.6, and 3.9% in SALT scores were noted in groups A, B, and C patients, respectively (Po0.05). Total hair count increased significantly in the study treatment groups as compared with the placebo group (Po0.05). The patients who received calcipotriol were significantly more satisfied with the treatment as compared with those who received placebo (Po0.05). Local erythema, burning, itching, and exfoliation were the adverse effects noted. Conclusion Topical calcipotriol (0.005%) ointment with/without NBUVB phototherapy showed more clinical and trichoscopic improvement as compared with placebo.