title: Treatment of uremic pruritus with narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy: an open pilot study.
abstract: We report the results of a pilot study of narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy for the treatment of 20 patients with uremic pruritus. Ten patients completed the 6-week study period. A total of 8 patients were found to be responders. Of the remaining 10 patients who left the study before 6 weeks, 6 were satisfied with the response. In the follow-up period, 7 responders could be examined, and 3 were in remission 6 months after completing treatment. However, pruritus recurred in the remaining 4 responders. Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy may be an effective treatment for patients with uremic pruritus. Recurrence of pruritus, however, is a frequent problem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. siminada@baskent-ank.edu.tr
authors.forename: Simin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ada
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seçkin
authors.forename: Irem
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Budakoğlu
authors.forename: Fatma Nurhan
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011537:Pruritus / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy; D014511:Uremia / Q000150:complications*