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Solar urticaria—effective treatment by plasmapheresis
Author(s) -
DUSCHET P.,
LEYEN P.,
SCHWARZ T.,
HÖCKER P.,
GREITER J.,
GSCHNAIT F.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2230.1987.tb01891.x
Subject(s) - medicine , plasmapheresis , dermatology , university hospital , family medicine , immunology , antibody
Summary Some cases of solar urticaria are characterized by a circulating, transferable serum factor being essential in the pathogenesis of this disease. A patient with severe solar urticaria exhibited clinically, and both by in vivo and in vitro testing, marked urticarial reactions after irradiation with visible and UVA light. Treatment by plasmapheresis led to a sudden and dramatic therapeutic effect. A significant increase of the light tolerance was demonstrated by a battery of in vivo and in vitro tests and the patient was able to spend her holidays on the beaches of southern Europe. The therapeutic effect of one plasmapheresis tasted for more than 5 months. Plasmapheresis may represent a new and powerful therapeutic facility for some patients with solar urticaria.