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Cream psoralen plus ultraviolet A therapy for granuloma annulare
M Grundmann-Kollmann1, F R Ochsendorf, T M Zollner
1Department of Dermatology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
Background:
Treatment modalities for granuloma annulare (GA) often remain unsatisfactory or can be accompanied by potentially hazardous side-effects. Psoralen plus ultraviolet (UV) A (PUVA) bath photochemotherapy has been reported to be highly effective in the treatment of GA. Another form of topical PUVA therapy, using 8-methoxypsoralen-containing cream or gel preparations, has been proven to be as effective as bath PUVA therapy in the treatment of palmoplantar dermatoses.
Objectives:
To assess the efficacy of cream PUVA photochemotherapy in patients with GA.
Methods:
Five patients with GA were treated. The diagnosis was confirmed by pretreatment skin biopsies. Cream PUVA therapy was performed four times a week: the mean number of treatments was 26 (range 17-40) and mean cumulative UVA dose was 55.9 J cm-2 (range 18.2-109.2).
Results:
Cream PUVA photochemotherapy induced significant clinical improvement (one patient) or clearance (four patients) of GA in all patients. Clearance was documented clinically and histopathologically.
Conclusions:
Cream PUVA phototherapy can be highly effective in patients affected by localized forms of GA.