Comparative Evaluation of Tacrolimus Ointment and Pimecrolimus Cream in the Management of Vitiligo in Children: Assessing Clinical Efficacy and Prognosis Implications

By evaluating the clinical efficacy of tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus cream in treating childhood vitiligo, this study aims to determine their prognostic implications. A cohort of 120 children with vitiligo, who underwent treatment at our hospital over the period of June 2021 to June 2022, was chosen as the subjects for this study. They were divided into an observation group (tacrolimus ointment+308 nm excimer laser) and a control group (pimecrolimus cream+308 nm excimer laser). The two groups received continuous treatment for 12 w. The overall effective rate, time to appearance of pigmented spots, pre and post treatment pigmentation scores, and occurrence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Observation group had a higher effective rate (91.67 %) than the control group (88.33 %), but the difference was not significant (p>0.05). The duration for pigmented spots to manifest was significantly shorter in the observation group (9.01 +/- 2.20 d) compared to the control group (11.13 +/- 2.96 d) (p<0.05). No significant difference in pre-treatment pigmentation scores (p>0.05). After treatment, both groups had increased pigmentation scores, with observation group showing significantly higher scores (p<0.05). No notable difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the observation group (6.67 %, 4/60) and the control group (10.00 %, 6/60) (p>0.05) was identified. Tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus cream had similar efficacy in childhood vitiligo. The observation group showed faster pigmented spot appearance and higher pigmentation scores, favoring tacrolimus ointment