Photoprotection of the eye in PUVA therapy

Photochemotherapy with psoralens, now widely used in the therapy of psoriasis, vitiligo and mycosis fungoides, has been proposed to have the capacity, during long‐term therapy, to induce ocular damage, e.g. cataract. This view is based on animal experiments (Cloud, Hakim & Griffin, 1960, 1961; Free‐man & Troll, 1969) and as a consequence adequate protection of the eyes has been recommended for patients on PUVA treatment. During therapeutic irradiation eye protection is usually provided by small black non‐transparent glasses but the problem is which type of sun glasses the patient should wear for the rest of the day of treatment. The purpose of this paper was to investigate different sun glasses on the market with regard to their transmission of longwave ultraviolet light around 365 nm (UVA) where the maximal action spectrum for psoralens is found in vivo (Pathak, Krämer & Fitzpatrick, I974).