Oral methoxsalen photochemotherapy of extensive pityriasis alba. Preliminary report

Six patients with extensive pityriasis alba were treated with oral methoxsalen, followed by exposure to midday summer sun or exposure to long-wave ultraviolet radiation in a psoralens plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) cabinet. Complete clearing or marked improvement was obtained in five patients in less than 4 weeks of treatment. The patient with the most extensive skin involvement and the longest duration of the disease achieved a marked degree of improvement after 15 weeks of therapy. A long-term follow-up is still required to define the maintenance treatment and its efficacy.