Clinical and therapeutic aspects of polymorphous light eruption.

BACKGROUND

Polymorphous light eruption (PLE) is an idiopathic eruption induced by ultraviolet (UV) radiation (UVR).

OBJECTIVE

Evaluation of the clinical aspects, diagnostic criteria of PLE in a major Swiss referral center.

METHODS

25 patients with PLE were tested with a standardized protocol for the assessment of photodermatoses.

RESULTS

25 patients (22 women vs. 3 men) were identified. Papular and papular-vesicular eruptions were the most common clinical presentations. 6 of 25 patients had a reduced minimal erythema dose (MED) for UVA and 8 of 25 patients had a reduced MED for UVB. Photoprovocation was positive in 11 of 20 patients for UVA and 7 of 20 patients for UVB. Photohardening with narrow-band UVB was successful in 8 of 10 patients. Combined UVA/UVB therapy had a satisfactory effect in 10 of 15 patients. Narrow-band UVB therapy was still successful after ineffective UVA/UVB therapy.

CONCLUSION

The MED was of no value for the diagnosis of PLE. The typical lesions were reproduced by UVA and UVB photoprovocation. We recommend photohardening with narrow-band UVB (311 nm).