Analysis of factors influencing treatment outcomes of halo nevus

Abstract

Objective To investigate clinical characteristics of halo nevus, and to explore factors influencing its treatment outcome. Methods A prospective study was conducted in 250 patients with halo nevus from February 2016 to November 2016 to analyze the factors influencing treatment outcomes. Results There were a total of 293 lesions in the 250 patients, including 219 (87.6%) patients with solitary lesions and 31 (12.4%) with multiple lesions. Among these lesions, 154 (52.6%) occurred on the trunk, and 127 (43.3%) occurred on the face and neck. The diameters of the lesions ranged from 5 mm to 20 mm. Not all the halo nevi spontaneously subsided in 248 (99.2%) of the 250 patients, and 122 (48.8%) of the patients were complicated by vitiligo. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, number of lesions, complication by vitiligo and therapeutic methods were factors influencing the treatment outcome of halo nevus. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age ≤ 19 years or ≥ 40 years, disease duration > 1 year, solitary lesions, absence of vitiligo and nevus removal were independent factors for effective treatment of halo nevus. Conclusions Most of halo nevi cannot subside spontaneously. CO2 laser or surgical excision combined with externally applied agents is effective for the treatment of halo nevus. For halo nevus patients without vitiligo, it′s preferred to remove the halo nevi. For halo nevus patients with vitiligo, nevi should be removed in the stable stage of vitiligo. Relapse often occurs in patients with multiple halo nevi or large-area vitiligo, so close follow-up is needed. Key words: Vitiligo; Treatment outcome; Nevus; Root cause analysis; Halo nevus