title: Clinical and therapeutic aspects of polymorphous light eruption.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polymorphous light eruption (PLE) is an idiopathic eruption induced by ultraviolet (UV) radiation (UVR).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Evaluation of the clinical aspects, diagnostic criteria of PLE in a major Swiss referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  25 patients with PLE were tested with a standardized protocol for the assessment of photodermatoses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  25 patients (22 women vs. 3 men) were identified. Papular and papular-vesicular eruptions were the most common clinical presentations. 6 of 25 patients had a reduced minimal erythema dose (MED) for UVA and 8 of 25 patients had a reduced MED for UVB. Photoprovocation was positive in 11 of 20 patients for UVA and 7 of 20 patients for UVB. Photohardening with narrow-band UVB was successful in 8 of 10 patients. Combined UVA/UVB therapy had a satisfactory effect in 10 of 15 patients. Narrow-band UVB therapy was still successful after ineffective UVA/UVB therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MED was of no value for the diagnosis of PLE. The typical lesions were reproduced by UVA and UVB photoprovocation. We recommend photohardening with narrow-band UVB (311 nm).
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. reinhard.dummer@der.usz.ch
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dummer
authors.forename: Katya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ivanova
authors.forename: E Paul
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Scheidegger
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017454:Dermatitis, Photoallergic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000379:methods; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012882:Skin Tests; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents