Solar urticaria
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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Precision Implementation of Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) Testing to Assess Individual Variation in Human Inflammatory Response
Published on: October 3, 2019
Luke M Webb1, Cecilia P Mikita
1Department of Allergy and Immunology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. 20307, USA. luke.webb@us.army.miland
Abstract:
A case of solar urticaria is presented, followed by a discussion of the clinical characteristics, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of this disease. Special emphasis is given to clinical pearls and pitfalls for the practicing allergist. Solar urticaria is a physical urticaria that can be difficult to diagnose and distinguish from other photodermatoses. There are some characteristic features that are important to remember when evaluating a patient with suspected solar urticaria. Testing can be difficult without the assistance of an experienced dermatologist because there are several different wavelengths of light that can lead to a patient's symptoms. Solar urticaria tends to be a chronic disease with a low 5-year resolution rate but can usually be effectively managed with multiple antihistamines.
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