title: Alopecia areata treatment with a phototoxic dose of UVA and topical 8-methoxypsoralen.
abstract: Twenty-five patients with alopecia totalis (AT) or alopecia universalis and 124 patients with alopecia areata (AA) were treated with photochemotherapy, combining topical 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) with UV irradiation of the scalp at a phototoxic dose. The mean energy required was 15 J/cm2 for AA and 42 J/cm2 for AT. Ninety-four patients had multiple bald patches and 12 with AT had complete or > 50% hair regrowth. Positive treatment results did not seem to depend on the age of onset or the duration of the disease. Few side-effects of topical psoralens plus UVA (PUVA) treatment were noted, except a for few days of slight erythema caused by the high dose of UV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hôpital Habib Thameur, Tunis, Tunisia. mohamed.zghol@rns.tn
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhouri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jallouli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fazaa
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kamoun
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mokhtar
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008730:Methoxsalen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011701:PUVA Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D008730:Methoxsalen