Photosensitivity-Induced Pediatric Rash Following Surgery: A Case Study

Photosensitivity is characterized by an abnormal skin reaction to light that causes various adverse skin reactions such as blistering, redness, and inflammation. Photosensitivity may also depend on the wavelength of the light as minor changes affect different layers of the skin. During surgical procedures, many different types of light are used with a range of wavelengths. Some of these illumination sources include light-emitting diode lights, xenon light, and many others. This case study examines the occurrence of a photosensitivity reaction in a patient by considering the length, duration, and type of light during surgery. Our patient is a four-year-old male who presented to University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) with phimosis and umbilical hernia. The patient underwent umbilical herniorrhaphy and circumcision. The patient received general anesthesia via inhalation for both induction and maintenance. The patient's vitals were stable before and after performing the procedure. After completion of the procedure, the patient appeared to have a red rash along the left side of his upper thigh and lower groin area. There were no other complications from the surgery and the procedure was successful. Thus, it was presumed as an erythematous skin burn caused by the operating room (OR) lights. The findings in this case demonstrate a novel finding of a sunburn-like rash caused by the OR lights. Further research is indicated to determine other risk factors such as the type of light being used in the OR, the distance of the light to the exposed skin (which may vary based on surgeon preference), and the duration of time that the lights were used.