PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “ULTRAVIOLET THERAPY”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 865 records · Page 48Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

UVA/UVB phototherapy for atopic dermatitis revisited.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a genetically determined pruritic skin disease affecting predominantly young people. The therapy of AD includes mainly corticosteroids (CS), antihistamines and immunosuppressors. CS are known to cause a variety of side effects and attempts have been made to reduce or eliminate their use through alternative methods such as phototherapy (UVA/UVB, UVA(1), UVB 311 nm). In order to optimize therapeutic efficacy the effects of CS and UV radiation are often combined. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of UVA/UVB and UVA/UVB plus topical CS phototherapy of AD and to compare the two regimens with regard to their therapeutic effect, duration of treatment and remissions, cumulative UVA and UVB doses and side effects. METHODS: Thirty-one patients (mean age 19 years) with moderate-to-severe forms of AD were enrolled in the study (mean disease duration of 17.7 years). Seventeen patients were treated with UVA/UVB phototherapy (Group I). Fourteen patients received UV irradiation combined with topical CS (Group II). The starting UVA dose was 2-2.5 J/cm(2). The initial UVB dose depended on skin phototype. The procedures were held five times weekly. In order to evaluate therapeutic efficacy, 10 severity criteria and 10 topographic sites were scored at the beginning and at the end of treatment. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference in the severity of the disease was observed before and after phototherapy in both groups (overall clinical score Group I: t=10.1, p=0.0001; Group II: t=13.9, p=0.0001). Erythema (t=12.1, p<0.0001), excoriations (t=10.1, p<0.0001) and vesiculation improved most dramatically after UVA/UVB phototherapy. Lichenification (t=2.5, p=0.024), xerosis (t=10.2, p<0.001) and pruritus (t=13.7, p<0.0001) also diminished significantly. The combination regimen had a similar effect on different severity criteria, but initial signs of improvement appeared earlier. Side effects observed during phototherapy included erythema, burning, skin xerosis and sweating. No statistically significant difference was established between the therapeutic efficacy of the two treatment modalities (t=0.2, p=0.904), but the addition of CS reduced the duration of treatment (number of procedures: t=2.5, p=0.02) and total UVB dose (t=2.3, p=0.03). There was no significant difference between the duration of remissions (t=0.9, p=0.39) and frequency of side effects in the two groups of patients. CONCLUSION: Both UVA/UVB monotherapy and UVA/UVB + topical CS lead to significant clinical improvement in patients with AD, but the addition of CS reduces the total UVB dose and duration of treatment without influencing the duration of remissions and frequency of side effects.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1990

A dose-response study of UVB-induced suppression of contact photosensitivity in the mouse.

A marked contact photosensitivity (CPS) response to 3,3',4',5 tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TCSA) plus UVA was induced in mice. Cyclophosphamide (Cy), given prior to sensitization, caused a further increase in ear swelling. When UVB radiation was given at a site distant from that used for sensitization it caused a dose-related suppression of CPS. Cy did not eliminate the UVB-induced suppression.

Allergens↗
PubMed1986

Psoriasis treatment: faster clearance when UVB-dithranol is combined with topical clobetasol propionate.

Fifty patients with plaque psoriasis were treated with dithranol and UVB 5 days per week. Twenty-six of these patients also received 13 treatments (once daily in the 1st week, every other day in the 2nd week, twice in the 3rd week and once in the 4th week) with topical clobetasol propionate. The median time for clearance was 2.5 weeks for those on the clobetasol propionate-dithranol-UVB combination compared with 4 weeks when only dithranol-UVB was used. Scaling and induration of the lesions disappeared during the first 2 weeks of treatment with clobetasol propionate-dithranol-UVB which was a significant improvement compared with dithranol-UVB alone. The time of remission in patients completely cleared was the same in the two groups. Relapses occurred slightly more often in the clobetasol propionate treated than in the control group (during treatment 5 of 26 versus 2 of 24; after 6 months 7 of 18 versus 4 of 15) but the differences were not statistically significant. The study shows that addition of topical clobetasol propionate according to our schedule to the traditional dithranol-UVB regimen of psoriasis results in a more rapid clearance of lesions without undesirable side effects.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2000

[Solar urticaria: pre-PUVA UVA desensitization].

BACKGROUND: Solar urticaria is an uncommon disorder sometimes difficult to treat. It is characterized by the occurrence of typical whealing reactions on exposed skin a few minutes after sun exposure. The reactions resolve 1 to 5 hours after sun exposure ceases. We report a case evolving over several years, unresponsive to antihistamines and successfully treated by PUVAtherapy performed after UVA desensitization. CASE REPORT: For 3 years, a 22-year-old man developed erythema and itchy wheals at each solar exposure. The lesions appeared on all exposed areas including those usually exposed (face and hand) even in winter. An antihistamine regimen given for several weeks (cetirizine, loratadine) was ineffective. One trial of PUVA therapy led to an urticarial reaction of the entire body. Phototesting showed the minimal whealing dose for UVA was 0.4 J/cm(2). Phototherapy was therefore started by segmentary UVA irradiation at an initial dose of 0.1 J/cm(2). Exposure was then progressively increased allowing initiation of the PUVAtherapy on the 9(th) day with a dose of 0.5 J/cm(2) without whealing reaction. Slow increment PUVA therapy was able to induce good tolerance to sun exposure. DISCUSSION: Solar urticaria may sometimes have a deleterious effect on normal daily life. Severe cases are characterized by a whealing reaction after minimal sun exposure, even on regularly exposed skin. Antihistamines can provide some symptom relief in many patients, but high doses are required. If antihistamines are ineffective, PUVA therapy is indicated. Pre-PUVA UVA desensitization is often necessary. However, exposure to UVA alone has to be repeated every 24 to 48 hours to maintain the refractory state. The advantage of PUVA therapy is a more long lasting protection allowing weekly maintenance sessions.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Pustulosis palmoplantaris and chronic eczematous hand dermatitis. Treatment, epidermal Langerhans cells and association with thyroid disease.

Long-standing hand and foot dermatoses, e.g. pustulosis palmoplantaris (PPP) and chronic eczematous hand dermatitis, severely affect the patients' quality of life. The cause of PPP is unknown and the disease usually responds unsatisfactorily to treatment. The aims of the studies of PPP were to determine the prevalence of thyroid disease and to evaluate the relative merits of treatment with etretinate, psoralen photochemotherapy (PUVA), and a combination of the two. Furthermore, epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) were quantified in lesional skin before and after treatment. The prevalence of thyroid disease was significantly increased in a group of PPP patients compared to normal individuals and psoriasis patients. Both hypo and hyperthyroidism were found. In addition, circulating autoantibodies to thyroid antigens were more common in patients with PPP than in the control group. The thyroid status was further examined in a new and larger group of PPP patients, including a 4-year follow-up examination of those with thyroid antibodies or subclinical thyroid dysfunction. The increased prevalence of thyroid diseases was corroborated when this PPP group was compared to an age and sex-matched control population sample from the same city. Some patients also showed biochemical evidence of gastric autoimmunity. Ninetyfour percent of the PPP patients were smokers at the time of onset of the skin disease, compared to 33% of the subjects in a control group. Patients with treatment-resistant PPP were recruited for a randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. A combination of etretinate and PUVA was more effective than monotherapy with etretinate or PUVA. The latter were equally effective. Etretinate frequently provoked side effects. Follow-up examinations showed a high relapse rate. Epidermal LC were visualised with monoclonal antibodies to Leu 6 and HLA-DR antigens utilizing an immunoperoxidase technique. Their number was increased in lesional skin. The number of HLA-DR positive LC was decreased following etretinate, and normalised with etretinate + PUVA. Chronic eczematous hand dermatitis is a common clinical challenge. These studies aimed at an evaluation of PUVA and UVB phototherapy in patients with recalcitrant lesions and to enumerate epidermal LC before and after treatment. PUVA was a highly effective mode of treatment and cleared all treated hands. UVB was better than no treatment but the dermatitis did not clear in any patient. The number of epidermal LC was increased in lesional palmar skin in both allergic contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis and hyperkeratotic dermatitis of the palms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1985

UV radiometry in dermatology.

UV radiometry in photodermatology remains in an unsatisfactory state, which has been highlighted and, in some respects, worsened by improvements in UV detector technology. Complex, fundamental problems are involved, but matters have not been helped by a failure to recognize the clear distinction between those UV measurements which aim at accurate radiometry, and those which aim only at long-term consistency in a particular irradiation technique within a department.

Dermatology↗