Polymorphous light eruption: experimental reproduction of skin lesions by whole-body UVA irradiation

Fifty patients suffering from polymorphous light eruption (PLE), selected by criteria pointing to UVA sensitivity, were phototested with 2 different polychromatic UVA sources for reproduction of skin lesions. To simulate natural conditions, the patients were whole-body irradiated for up to 5 consecutive days. In 64% of the patients successful reproduction of PLE lesions was obtained by 1 to 4 irradiations. The total dosage ranged from 20 to 280 J/cm2, and the total exposure times from 10 to 60 min. Our results suggest that irradiation of the whole body in UVA-sensitive PLE patients does not provide more convincing test results than phototesting of small previously involved skin sites, as has been done by other groups.