PUVA therapy and narrowband UVB therapy in Tunisian patients with mycosis fungoides.
BACKGROUND
PUVA therapy and narrowband UVB therapy (NBUVB) constitute a widely used first line therapy in mycosis fungoides (MF).


METHODS
It is a retrospective study dealing with 7 patients with MF treated by phototherapy [3 with PUVA (III, IV, V phototype) and 4 with NBUVB (III-IV phototype)]. One patient had both treatments (PUVA then NBUVB for a relapse).


RESULTS
Complete response (CR) was achieved in 2 of the 3 patients treated with PUVA (they had stage IB-MF). Both had relapsed after 40 sessions and 7 months later, respectively. Relapses were treated by PUVA maintenance treatment (2 sessions/2 weeks) and NBUVB leading to CR. The third patient (stage IIA) did not respond to PUVA. CR was obtained in the 5 patients treated with NBUVB (stage IA-IB), after a mean cumulative dose of 58.3 J/cm(2). No relapse was noted with NBUVB after a mean follow-up period of 13.2 months (extremes: 2 -31 months).


CONCLUSIONS
NBUVB is only effective on non-infiltrated plaques independently of phototype. PUVA therapy is effective even on infiltrated plaques. Both treatments do not prevent relapses.
Khaled
Aida
A
Department of Dermatology, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia. aida.khaled@rns.tn
Fazaa
Becima
B
Goucha
Samia
S
Zeglaoui
Faten
F
Kamoun
Mohamed Ridha
MR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011701:PUVA Therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014416:Tunisia; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy