BACKGROUND:Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with nodular itching lesions. UV therapy--both PUVA and NUVB--are known to clear up PN temporarily due to the antipruritic effect of UV light. However, relapse after treatment is common in PN, which means that either long-term therapy is necessary or the treatment protocols have to be optimized to minimize side-effects. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect that combining bath PUVA and targeted UVB 308 nm excimer radiation has on recalcitrant nodular prurigo. METHODS: In a prospective trial, 22 patients with PN were treated with either PUVA alone or with a combination of PUVA and excimer UVB. The end point was complete or almost complete remission of PN. RESULTS: Adding a 308-nm excimer UVB to the treatment of the pruritic nodules sped up the healing process; 30% less PUVA radiation was needed. CONCLUSION: The combination of PUVA and excimer UVB in PN appears to be very efficacious. Reducing psoralen UVA doses by 30% offered long-term benefits in phototherapy of chronic recalcitrant diseases like PN.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND:Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with nodular itching lesions. UV therapy--both PUVA and NUVB--are known to clear up PN temporarily due to the antipruritic effect of UV light. However, relapse after treatment is common in PN, which means that either long-term therapy is necessary or the treatment protocols have to be optimized to minimize side-effects. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect that combining bath PUVA and targeted UVB 308 nm excimer radiation has on recalcitrant nodular prurigo. METHODS: In a prospective trial, 22 patients with PN were treated with either PUVA alone or with a combination of PUVA and excimer UVB. The end point was complete or almost complete remission of PN. RESULTS: Adding a 308-nm excimer UVB to the treatment of the pruritic nodules sped up the healing process; 30% less PUVA radiation was needed. CONCLUSION: The combination of PUVA and excimer UVB in PN appears to be very efficacious. Reducing psoralen UVA doses by 30% offered long-term benefits in phototherapy of chronic recalcitrant diseases like PN.
Authors: Manuel P Pereira; Claudia Zeidler; Joanna Wallengren; Jon Anders Halvorsen; Elke Weisshaar; Simone Garcovich; Laurent Misery; Emilie Brenaut; Ekin Şavk; Nikolay Potekaev; Andrey Lvov; Svetlana Bobko; Jacek C Szepietowski; Adam Reich; Agnieszka Bozek; Franz J Legat; Martin Metz; Markus Streit; Esther Serra-Baldrich; Margarida Gonçalo; Michael Storck; Teresa Nau; Vincent Hoffmann; Sabine Steinke; Ina Greiwe; Martin Dugas; Matthias Augustin; Sonja Ständer Journal: Acta Derm Venereol Date: 2021-02-17 Impact factor: 3.875