[PUVA-bath photochemotherapy in Hallopeau's acrodermatitis continua suppurativa]

A 73-year-old man presented with severe, relapsing acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau, which had been resistant to prior local and systemic therapy for eight years. The patient was treated with selective hand PUVA-bath photochemotherapy. The cumulative dose of UVA used over 10 weeks of treatment was 54.6 J/cm2 on the palms and 26.8 J/cm2 on the dorsum of the hands. The single UVA doses ranged from 0.5 to 2.5 J/cm2 on the palms and 0.2 to 1.4 J/cm2 on the dorsum of the hands. After 16 treatment sessions, the acrodermatitis continua started to improve, and after 24 treatments, had cleared completely. In the four months following the PUVA therapy, there was no relapse. PUVA-bath photochemotherapy is an efficient therapeutic alternative in the treatment of acrodermatitis continua due to its clinical effectiveness and lack of any systemic side effects. It also possesses the advantage of allowing selective photosensitization of certain areas of the skin such as the hands.