Ultraviolet Radiation Therapy of Atopic Eczema

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has been used as a therapeutic modality in the treatment of atopic eczema for many decades, but only in the past decade have there been attempts at controlled evaluation of this treatment. Thus, we are beginning to move towards a position of knowing whether UV radiation is useful in atopic eczema, but before reaching that point, several considerations must be kept in mind. First, atopic eczema is not a uniform disease, it presents as a spectrum of pathology from acute vesiculation through to chronic lichenification, so that a treatment might be effective in one phase of the disorder and not another. Second, different parts of the body may pose varied therapeutic and photobiologic problems. For example, eczema on the palms and soles may respond differently to that at other locations. Finally, there have been few controlled observations of the effect of UV radiation. For example, there appears to have been only one bilateral, paired-comparison study, although this type of investigation is essential in a disease that is renowned for its psychological overtones. Thus, many more controlled studies utilizing crisp endpoints are required before the remaining questions are correctly answered.