Mania induced by narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy treatment

Phototherapy has been used for decades in the treatment of many common dermatologic conditions, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, vitiligo, and scleroderma, among others. Before the commencement of phototherapy, many factors must be considered. For dermatologists, the most important factors include the determination of a patient ’s skin phototype, concurrent use of photosensitizing agents, and calculation of minimal erythema dose (MED). Though infrequent, the side-effects to phototherapy commonly discussed with patients include burns, ocular toxicity, polymorphous light eruption, potential for skin carcinogenesis, and pos sible worsening of the skin disease.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research