Use of psoralen therapies obtained abroad in two children with Vitiligo
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Updated: Dec 13, 2025

The Goeckerman Regimen for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Psoriasis
Published on: July 11, 2013
Katheryn A Bell1, Karl M Saardi2, Scott A Norton3
1Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
Abstract:
We describe two American-born children with vitiligo, each of whom travelled to their family's ancestral home (India and Ethiopia), where their skin conditions were treated with PUVAsol, which involves the use of topical or oral psoralens followed by exposure to natural sunlight. Both children experienced modest repigmentation and were subsequently seen in our dermatology clinics. PUVAsol may be an attractive treatment option for some families, but there are potentially serious side effects including phototoxicity and cutaneous malignancy. Dermatologists should be aware of the existence of this treatment modality as well as its complications.
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