title: Photodermatoses in a Singapore skin referral centre.
abstract: The inducing or exacerbating effect of sunlight on skin diseases is often not appreciated in tropical countries, perhaps because of the perennial presence of sunlight, and a retrospective review of photodermatoses seen in a referral skin clinic was therefore carried out. The photodermatoses seen were secondary photoaggravation of primary skin diseases (32.2%), systemic drug photosensitivity (11.3%), polymorphic light eruption (13%), chronic actinic dermatitis (5.3%), solar urticaria (5.3%), actinic prurigo (4%), photoallergic contact dermatitis (2.6%), porphyria (1.3%) and xeroderma pigmentosum (1.3%). Compared with the results of Western studies, there were more photoaggravated underlying skin diseases and systemic drug photosensitivity, and fewer idiopathic photodermatoses and photoallergic contact dermatitis; the common photoallergens were chlorpromazine, promethazine and musk ambrette, very similar to those seen in the West.
authors.affiliation: National Skin Centre, Singapore.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Khoo
authors.forename: Y K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Tham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010328:Patch Tests; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D014329:Tropical Climate