OBJECTIVE This study attempts to objectively measure physiological changes in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), an indicator of skin barrier function and laser Doppler perfusion index (LDPI) an indicator of skin vascularity, of psoriatic skin lesions following treatment to narrow-band ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy using the psoriasis severity (PS) score as a measurement of clinical photother...

Narrow-band UVB (NB-UVB) phototherapy is commonly used for treatment of psoriasis, though the mechanisms underlying its efficacy have not been completely elucidated. We used gene expression profiling to characterise gene expression in lesional epidermis from psoriasis patients in the middle and late stages of NB-UVB photo-therapy. Increased melanogenesis gene expression was the earliest respons...

In patients with severe chronic atopic dermatitis (AD), both photochemotherapy [psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA)] and narrow-band (TL-01) UV B phototherapy have been reported to be very effective. As no data exist on the relative therapeutic efficacy of these two regimens, we performed a randomized investigator-blinded half-side comparison study on 12 patients with severe chronic AD. Half-side irr...

INTRODUCTION UVA phototherapy, acitretin and oral corticosteroids are currently the front-line treatment of disseminated cutaneous lichen planus. We studied the efficacy of narrow band UVB therapy in this indication. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively studied the dossiers of patients suffering from disseminated cutaneous lichen planus, treated with narrow band phototherapy in the Phototh...

BACKGROUND The treatment of vitiligo remains a challenge. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to review our results and experience with narrow-band ultraviolet (UV) B phototherapy for vitiligo. METHODS This is a retrospective analysis of our experience and results with patients with vitiligo who were treated with narrow-band UVB between November 1998 and November 1999. Narrow-band UVB ...

INTRODUCTION Phototherapy is effective for mycosis fungoides. Narrow band UVB (UVB1) therapy is being used as an alternative to PUVA therapy for its efficacy and less adverse events. The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of narrow band UVB therapy in early stage mycosis fungoides. METHODS It is a retrospective study of 23 patients with stage IB mycosis fungoides that have r...

Twenty patients with photodermatoses [actinic prurigo (n = 6), hydroa vacciniforme (n = 4), idiopathic solar urticaria (n = 1), amiodarone-induced photosensitivity (n = 1) and a range of cutaneous porphyrias (n = 8)] were treated with a 'hardening' course of narrow-band ultraviolet B (TL-01) phototherapy in springtime. The response to phototherapy was monitored subjectively, by interviewing pat...

Background: Chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) is a major cutaneous complication of bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Although milder forms of this process may be associated with a lower incidence of tumor recurrences, it is mandatory to develop a more efficient and less harmful therapeutic approach.Methods: This case-series study enrolled 7 patients diagnosed w...