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Case Reports
. 2021 Feb 20:9:2050313X21993307.
doi: 10.1177/2050313X21993307. eCollection 2021.

Can it make me white again? A case report of 88% phenol as a depigmenting agent in vitiligo

Farhan Mahmood  1 , Renée A Beach  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Can it make me white again? A case report of 88% phenol as a depigmenting agent in vitiligo

Farhan Mahmood et al. SAGE Open Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Vitiligo is the most common depigmenting disorder. However, therapies prove to be time-consuming, costly, or slow to show efficacy. Here, we present a case of a 74-year-old female with vitiligo who underwent full-body depigmentation treatment 50 years ago. Brown patches of repigmentation appeared on the patient's face and arms and were eventually treated with 88% phenol. Patient was later switched to compounded 3% glutathione cream for a more sustained effect. Phenol was an accessible, economical, and easily administrable therapeutic option that can result in short-term depigmentation.

Keywords: 88% phenol; Case report; depigmentation agents; depigmentation therapy; vitiligo.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Brown macules with adjacent patches of depigmentation involving the face in a patient with vitiligo. Frosted appearance upon post-application of 88% phenol on the face at sites of repigmentation. Face was rinsed with isopropyl alcohol three times prior to phenol application. Picture was taken after patient’s consent.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mid-left cheek responded to 88% phenol with fading of brown repigmentation in early 2020. Modest improvements were observed on skin over the face. The nasal bridge was treated with cryotherapy in 2019; sustained depigmentation can be observed. Picture was taken after patient’s consent.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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