[UV light sensitivity of the skin--possibilities and limits of clinical diagnosis]

Our study on 58 test persons showed that the sensitivity of human skin to UV light is independent of the color of skin, hair, eyes or the pigmentation of the mamillae. Therefore, the sensitivity to UV light must be ascertained by subtle phototesting. By means of the new UV phototesting set SBA-LT-400, Saalmann Co., 4900 Herford/West Germany, we determined the minimal erythema doses (MED) of UV-B and UV-A as basic, reproducible parameters regarding Central European people. 7 and 24 hours after radiation, MED showed mean values of 0.032 and 0.037 Joule/cm2, resp., for UV-B, whereas 24.1 and 25.6 Joule/cm2 were measured for UV-A. The pigmentation responses to UV radiation of human skin described in the literature can be reproduced in Mediterranean skin types only.