Chronic actinic dermatitis: two patients with successful management using narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy with systemic steroids.
BACKGROUND
Chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) is a debilitating photodermatosis with characteristic clinical, histological and photobiological features (reduced minimal erythema dose: MED). Its management involves various therapeutic approaches, among them there is phototherapy. Efficacy of psoralen ultraviolet therapy (PUVA therapy) was previously demonstrated but there are no current data on the use of narrowband ultra violet B (UVB) therapy (NB-UVB) in CAD. NB-UVB has already been proven to be effective and safe in several other photodermatoses.


METHODS
We report here two dark-skinned patients (skin type IV and V) with CAD, successfully treated with an incremental regimen of NB-UVB phototherapy coupled to a 3 month-course of systemic steroids (1mg/Kg/day).


CONCLUSIONS
Our protocol of NB-UVB with steroids seems to be effective for the management of CAD with a good short term safety profile.
Department of Dermatology, Charles Nicolle Hospital of Tunis, Tunisia. aida.khaled@rns.tn
Aida
A
Khaled
Nadia
N
Kerkeni
Dora
D
Baccouche
Faten
F
Zeglaoui
Mohamed Ridha
MR
Kamoun
Becima
B
Fazaa
D000368:Aged; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011701:PUVA Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D013256:Steroids; D011241:Prednisone