Abstract
Phototherapy is the use of ultraviolet (UV) light to treat skin diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and vitiligo. Patients with generalized disease or disease unresponsive to topical treatments are good candidates for phototherapy. Ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy is the most commonly practiced and includes narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) and broadband UVB (BB-UVB). Patients are treated two to three times per week for approximately 12 weeks, with a potential ongoing maintenance regimen of once or twice weekly phototherapy sessions. The dose of UV light is initiated at low dose and increased as tolerated. Phototherapy is extremely safe and effective. Approximately 70% of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis achieve at least 75% improvement of their psoriasis over 12 weeks. Common side effects include erythema, burning, and tanning.
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Koo, J., Nakamura, M. (2017). Ultraviolet B Phototherapy for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Psoriasis. In: Clinical Cases in Phototherapy. Clinical Cases in Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51599-1_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51599-1_1
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