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Kanerva's Occupational Dermatology pp 147–160Cite as

Phototoxic Dermatitis

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Abstract

Phototoxic dermatitis from exogenous chemicals can be polymorphic.

It is not always easy to distinguish phototoxicity from photoallergy.

Phytophotodermatitis from plants containing furocoumarins is one of the main causes of phototoxic contact dermatitis.

Topical and systemic drugs are a frequent cause of photosensitivity, often with phototoxic aspects.

The main clinical pattern of acute phototoxicity is an exaggerated sunburn.

Subacute phototoxicity from systemic drugs can present as pseudoporphyria, photoonycholysis, and dyschromia.

Exposure to phototoxic drugs can enhance skin carcinogenesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic of Dermatology, Unit of Skin Allergy, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Praceta Mota Pinto, P-3000-175, Coimbra, Portugal

    Dr. Margarida Gonçalo M.D. (Faculty of Medicine)

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  1. Dr. Margarida Gonçalo M.D.
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Correspondence to Margarida Gonçalo M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology and Allergology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Thomas Rustemeyer

  2. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany

    Peter Elsner

  3. Department of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine and Health Theory, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany

    Swen-Malte John

  4. Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Howard I. Maibach

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Gonçalo, M. (2012). Phototoxic Dermatitis. In: Rustemeyer, T., Elsner, P., John, SM., Maibach, H.I. (eds) Kanerva's Occupational Dermatology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02035-3_15

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