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Phototherapy

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European Handbook of Dermatological Treatments

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Abstract

Phototherapy is the use of ultraviolet radiation or visible light for therapeutic purposes. When artificial photosensitizers are used in combination with light, the appropriate term is photochemotherapy. Narrowband and broadband UVB, UVA as part of photochemotherapy (PUVA), UVA1, and targeted phototherapy (excimer lasers and nonlaser monochromatic excimer light sources) are in use today with success in dermatologic therapy. Psoriasis, T-cell lymphoma, atopic dermatitis, and vitiligo are effectively treated with different phototherapy protocols. Other skin diseases like urticaria pigmentosa, morphea, and graft-versus-host disease are also benefited from this method. Phototherapy may further relieve different types of pruritus, and it is used to induce a desensitizing effect on patients with photosensitivity diseases like polymorphous light eruption.

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Further Reading

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of Athens, Andreas Syggrus Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Marita Kosmadaki & Christina Antoniou

Authors
  1. Marita Kosmadaki
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  2. Christina Antoniou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christina Antoniou .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Andreas Syggros Hospital University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Andreas D. Katsambas  & Clio Dessinioti  & 

  2. University of Rome “G. Marconi”, Rome, Italy

    Torello M. Lotti

  3. Centro Studi per la Ricerca Multidisciplinare Rigenerativa (CSRMR), Rome, Italy

    Torello M. Lotti

  4. Unit of Dermatology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Angelo Massimiliano D’Erme

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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kosmadaki, M., Antoniou, C. (2015). Phototherapy. In: Katsambas, A.D., Lotti, T.M., Dessinioti, C., D’Erme, A.M. (eds) European Handbook of Dermatological Treatments. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45139-7_127

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45139-7_127

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-45138-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-45139-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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