Premium
Successful treatment of solar urticaria by extracorporeal photochemotherapy (photopheresis) – a case report
Author(s) -
Mang R.,
Stege H.,
Budde M.A.,
Ruzicka T.,
Krutmann J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
photodermatology, photoimmunology and photomedicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.736
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1600-0781
pISSN - 0905-4383
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0781.2002.00683.x
Subject(s) - photopheresis , medicine , extracorporeal photopheresis , dermatology , erythema , puva therapy , surgery , psoriasis , disease , transplantation , graft versus host disease
Solar urticaria is characterized by erythema and whealing immediately after exposure to ultraviolet radiation and/or visible light. We report about a patient with severe solar urticaria, who was highly sensitive to both UVA radiation and visible light with a Minimal Urticaria Dose (MUD) of 7 J/cm 2 UVA. Management of this patient was extremely difficult because standard treatment with oral antihistamines, hardening with UVA, UVB, visible light or oral PUVA and even oral cyclosporin A were completely ineffective. We therefore decided to perform extracorporeal photochemotherapy (photopheresis, ECP). After nine treatment cycles with photopheresis the MUD increased from 7 J/cm 2 UVA before treatment to 22 J/cm 2 UVA. This hardening effect was associated with a significant decrease of the frequency and severity of whealing and the accompanying symptoms (pain, fatigue, pruritus). Conclusion: Photopheresis might be of some benefit in selected patients with otherwise intractable solar urticaria.