title: Treatment of polymorphous light eruption.
abstract: This study was designed in order to prove on a large-scale basis the efficacy of oral photochemotherapy (PUVA) in the prevention of polymorphous light eruption (PLE), to work out indication criteria for PUVA treatment of this disease, and to establish a simple method based on anamnestic data to differentiate UVA from UVB induced PLE. The results obtained in 106 PLE patients (85 UVA-, 21 UVB-induced) demonstrate that: 1) time consuming phototesting for determination of the disease's action spectrum is unnecessary for practical purposes; 2) PUVA-induced tanning under routine conditions represents a potent prophylaxis even in severe cases of PLE; and 3) topical sunscreens ("sunblockers") in the majority of cases are sufficient to protect UVB-promoted PLE, but fail in UVA-induced disease. PUVA thus seems the treatment of choice only in UVA-mediated PLE, the action spectrum of the disease at least in most cases being easily discovered from certain anamnestic data.
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011701:PUVA Therapy; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents