Determination of threshold UV-A elicitation dose in photopatch testing

Photopatch testing, although widely used in the diagnosis of photosensitivity disorders, is not standardized. We performed this study to determine the threshold ultraviolet light A (UV-A) dose required to elicit photopatch test responses. 4 patients with previously positive tests were reexposed to the offending allergen, using an incremental dosage regime. Isopropyl dibenzoylmethane (Eusolex 8020), mexenone (benzophenone-10) and oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) produced positive responses at 1.0, 1.0 and 0.7 J/cm2, respectively. Responses to phenothiazines were deemed phototoxic. These results demonstrate that high doses of UV-A (e.g., 10-15 J/cm2) are unnecessary, and that 5 J/cm2 should become the current standard.