title: Phototherapy in pediatric patients.
abstract: The treatment of children with psoriasis, atopic dermatitis (AD), pityriasis lichenoides, and scleroderma poses a therapeutic problem because all therapeutic options are associated with numerous side effects. Therefore ultraviolet A and B (UVA and UVB) phototherapy is presented as a possible alternative to some of these therapies, primarily topical and systemic corticosteroids, in children. Our results in treating children with phototherapy and psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) bath phototherapy over the past 5 years are reported. UVB therapy (TL01) was used in 20 psoriatic children (6 boys, 14 girls; ages 6-14 years) during the stage of disease exacerbation and in 9 children (3 boys, 6 girls; ages 8-16 years) with pityriasis lichenoides. Combined UVA/UVB phototherapy was applied in 21 AD children (7 boys, 14 girls; ages 4-15 years). Photochemotherapy with local application of a PUVA bath was used in six children (2 boys, 4 girls; ages 9-16 years) with circumscribed scleroderma and in one girl with systemic scleroderma. All children received short courses of phototherapy with either no maintenance or short maintenance. All three therapeutic protocols resulted in a certain degree of improvement in most of the study patients. None of the patients exhibited any early phototherapy side effects. We conclude that phototherapy and PUVA bath are valuable and safe therapeutic options for selected children who do not respond to other treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia. amra.pasic@zg.tel.hr
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pasić
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ceović
authors.forename: Jasna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lipozencić
authors.forename: Karmela
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Husar
authors.forename: Slobodna Murat
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Susić
authors.forename: Mihael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skerlev
authors.forename: Damir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hrsan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011701:PUVA Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D017514:Pityriasis Lichenoides / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods