UVB Phototherapy for sclerosing skin conditions – series of 10 cases

Abstract

Background: Phototherapy is a branch of physical therapy that employs natural or artificial light in the treatment of dermatoses. It includes UVA irradiation, which is absorbed in the deep layers of the skin, and UVB penetrates into the epidermal layer and has a significant ability to cause erythema. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of records of patients with Scleroderma-like disorders treated with narrow-spectrum phototherapy in the phototherapy unit from April 2021 to April 2022. Results: In our group, NB-UVB treatment had a favorable safety profile and was typically well tolerated by patients, side effects were limited to 2 cases of transitory erythema and one case of mild hyperpigmentation. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this was the first study of the overall efficacy of NB UVB in these indications. Additionally, longer-term studies are needed to investigate long-term results, safety, and effectiveness when combined with other treatments.