title: Solar urticaria: Epidemiology and clinical phenotypes in a Spanish series of 224 patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Solar urticaria is a chronic inducible urticaria also classified as an idiopathic dermatosis. The objective of this paper is to define the phenotypic characteristics of solar urticaria and to evaluate its incidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective multicenter study in which data were gathered on the epidemiology and clinical, photobiologic, laboratory, and therapeutic characteristics of solar urticaria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 224 patients (141 women and 83 men) were included from 9 photobiology units. The mean age of the patients was 37.9 years (range, 3-73 years). A history of atopy was detected in 26.7%, and the most common presentation was allergic rhinitis (16.5%). Clinical signs were limited to sun-exposed areas in 75.9% of patients. The light spectrum most commonly implicated was visible light only (31.7%), and in 21% of cases it was only possible to trigger solar urticaria with natural light. The treatments most widely used by photobiology experts were oral antihistamines (65.46%), followed by different forms of phototherapy (34%). Complete resolution was observed most often in patients with solar urticaria triggered exclusively by visible or natural light, with statistically significant differences with respect to other wavelengths (P<.05). No increase in the annual incidence of solar urticaria was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have presented the largest series of solar urticaria published to date. The epidemiological, clinical, and photobiologic findings confirm previously reported data, although there was a particularly high rate of negative phototests in our series. Reactivity exclusively to visible or natural light was associated with a higher probability of resolution. No increasing trend was observed in the annual incidence.
authors: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, España. Electronic address: perez_ampferr@gva.es.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Pérez-Ferriols
authors: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital La Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, España.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Barnadas
authors: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital de Cruces de Baracaldo, Baracaldo, España.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Gardeazábal
authors: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital de La Princesa, Madrid, España.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: de Argila
authors: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Germans Trías i Pujol, Badalona, España.
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Carrascosa
authors: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, España.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Aguilera
authors: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Giménez-Arnau
authors: Servicio de Dermatología, Complexo Hospital Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, España.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Rodríguez-Granados
authors: Unidad de Fotobiología Dermatológica y Oncología Cutánea, Departamento de Dermatología y Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, España.
authors: M V
authors: MV
authors: de Gálvez
authors: Unidad de Fotobiología Dermatológica y Oncología Cutánea, Departamento de Dermatología y Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, España.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Aguilera
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006633:Histamine Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010789:Phototherapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014581:Urticaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006633:Histamine Antagonists
keywords: Fotodermatosis; Photodermatosis; Physical urticaria; Solar urticaria; Urticaria física; Urticaria solar