title: Dramatic response of chronic ulcerating necrobiosis lipoidica to ultraviolet A1 phototherapy.
abstract: We report on a 52-year-old female patient with chronic, ulcerating necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) who dramatically responded to ultraviolet A1 (UVA1) phototherapy. The patient had NL on her right shin for more than 30 years without evidence of diabetes mellitus. Treatment with a variety of local and systemic agents failed to prevent progression into ulceration, which necessitated repeated surgical interventions in the past. When the patient presented again with torpid ulcers at the periphery of previously grafted skin, high-dose UVA1 phototherapy was initiated. Improvement occurred rapidly and after 22 irradiations and a total exposure dose of 1480 J/cm², the ulcers had healed completely. During a follow-up period of 6 years,two minor recurrences were successfully retreated with UVA1 phototherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Radakovic
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanew
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009335:Necrobiosis Lipoidica / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014467:Ultraviolet Therapy / Q000379:methods*