Incapacitating solar urticaria: successful treatment with omalizumab

Abstract: Solar urticaria is a rare form of physical urticaria mediated by immunoglobulin E. The lesions appear immediately after the sun exposure, interfering with the patient's normal daily life. Omalizumab, a monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, has been recently approved for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria, and the latest reports support its role also in the treatment of solar urticaria. Hereby, we report a case of solar urticaria refractory to conventional treatment strategies, with an excellent response to treatment with omalizumab and phototesting normalization.

Caso para diagnóstico / Case for diagnosis

Paciente do sexo masculino, negro, 13 anos, apresenta há dois anos lesões pruriginosas, pápulonodulares nos antebraços, associadas a edema do lábio inferior, fotofobia, conjuntivite e pterígio. O exame histopatológico do lábio inferior revelou acantose, espongiose e infiltrado inflamatório perivascular superficial, composto por linfócitos, plasmócitos e eosinófilos, compatível com o diagnóstico de prurigo actínico. As lesões regrediram com o uso de talidomida 100 mg/dia.

A 13-year-old black boy had pruritic papular and nodular lesions on his forearms associated to edema of the lower lip, photophobia, conjunctivitis and pterygium. Skin biopsy of the lower lip revealed acanthosis, spongiosis with dermal perivascular mononuclear cell infiltration composed by lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils consistent with actinic prurigo. Lesions improved considerably with the use of thalidomide 100mg/ day.

Efficacy and safety of azathioprine in the treatment of chronic actinic dermatitis

Chronic actinic dermatitis [CAD] is a rare intractable photosensitive predominantly eczematous eruption sometimes with infiltrated plaques on the exposed areas and has a tendency to progress to erythroderma. Along with sun protection, the use of corticosteroids gives only partial response and is associated with many unwanted effects. There are promising reports of usefulness of azathioprine in the treatment of CAD. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of azathioprine in the treatment of chronic actinic dermatitis in our patients. The study was conducted in the dermatology department of Mayo Hospital, Lahore over a period of 18 months. Patients of CAD fulfilling the inclusion criteria were put on azathioprine 2-3mg/kg/day. The clinical severity was assessed at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of azathioprine treatment using modified PASI score. Complete hemogram, hepatic and renal function tests, chest X-ray and urinalysis were carried before putting the patients on azathioprine. Hemograms were repeated at monthly intervals while liver enzymes were monitored at 2, 4 and 8 weeks and then at intervals of 2 months. Renal function tests were repeated at 3-monthly intervals. Eighteen patients, all men, were studied. The mean duration of disease was 6.5 years. Of the fifteen patients completing 9 months of treatment, six [40%] showed >90% reduction in PASI score, 7 [46.6%] showed >50% reduction while 1 [1.6%] showed <50% improvement. One [1.6%] patient discontinued the treatment on his own after no improvement of 4 months treatment. A definite conclusion could not be derived from this study as the number of patients was limited but the azathioprine can be used as an effective and safe treatment modality in chronic actinic dermatitis

Comparative study of efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in polymorphic light eruption: a randomized, double-blind, multicentric study.

BACKGROUND: Polymorphic light eruption is the most common photodermatosis characterized by nonscarring, pruritic, erythematous papules and plaques. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine in comparison with chloroquine in patients suffering from polymorphic light eruption. METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, comparative, multicentric study conducted at two centers. This study enrolled 68 (58.1%) males, 49 (41.8%) females whose ages ranged from 18-73 years and average weight was 57.89 +/- 8.27 kg. A total of 117 patients were enrolled in the study. Out of 117 patients, 63 patients were randomized to receive hydroxychloroquine tablets 200 mg twice daily for the first month and 200 mg once daily for the next month. Similarly, 54 patients were randomized to receive chloroquine tablets 250 mg twice daily for the first month and 250 mg once daily for the next month. The total duration of therapy for both the study arms was two months. The severity and frequency of burning, itching, erythema and scaling were evaluated at predetermined intervals (at baseline, after four, eight and 12 weeks of therapy). RESULTS: A significant reduction in severity scores for burning, itching and erythema was observed in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine than with chloroquine (P P = 0.229). The good to excellent response was reported by 68.9% of the patients who received hydroxychloroquine and by 63% of the patients who received chloroquine. The adverse events reported were mild to moderate and none of the patients reported any serious adverse events or ocular toxicity in this study. CONCLUSION: Hydroxychloroquine was found to be significantly more effective than chloroquine in the treatment of polymorphic light eruption and can be used safely in the dosage studied in such patients with little risk of ocular toxicity.

Curso clínico de la erupción polimorfa lumínica con medidas de fotoprotección con categoría ULTRA / Evolution of polymorphic light eruption using category ULTRA photoprotective measures

La erupción polimorfa lumínica (EPL) es la fotodermatosis idiopática más común. Suele presentarse en primavera y se caracteriza por la aparición de lesiones pruriginosas de diferente morfología en las zonas expuestas al sol. Aunque existen distintos tratamientos, se considera que la mejor medida consiste en restringir la exposición y utilizar fotoprotectores del factor alto. En este estudio epidemiológico se han evaluado las características clínicas y la revolución de la EPL con medidas de fotoprotección con categoría ULTRA (FPS 90) durante tres meses es una muestra de 26 pacientes. La gravedad de los síntomas y la intensidad de prurito disminuyeron significativamente en tan sólo 15 días hasta niveles irrelevantes y siguió disminuyendo hasta el final del estudio. Los resultados sugieren que la utilización del fotoprotector FPS 90 ayuda a la resolución de las lesiones del brote agudi del EPL.

A clinical analysis of 11 patients with chronic actinic dermatitis in Korea

Chronic actinic dermatitis is a rare disease worldwide and also in Korea. However there has been no clinicohistologic and photobiological analysis of chronic actinic dermatitis in Korea. We examined 11 patients who were diagnosed as chronic actinic dermatitis and the results of this study were compared with previous reports. Most patients were elderly men who had erythematous papules or lichenified plaques on sun-exposed areas such as the face, neck, and dorsum of the hands with severe itching sensation. All patients had severe sensitivity to UVB and biopsied specimens showed findings of chronic eczema. Five patients had positive photopatch test materials. The patients were treated with systemic and topical steroid, cyclosporine and antihistamine.

Dermatitis actínica crónica / Chronic actinic dermatitis

Se presenta un paciente con una dermatitis actínica crónica (DAC) que consulta a nuestro Servicio con un cuadro tipo eritrodérmico, que se agrava a la exposición solar. Sus estudios histopatológicos mostraron distintos patrones: infiltrados inflamatorios inespecíficos, espongiosis, etc, pero no se hallaron células atípicas. El cuadro mejora con la administración de beta-carotenos y corticoides locales

Experimental porphyria cutanea tarda and photosensitivity

FUNDAMENTOS - A porfiria cutânea tardia é uma doença metabólica da via porfirina-heme, resultante da deficiência da enzina uroporfirinogênio descarboxilase, que induz ao acúmulo de porfirinas, principalmente no fígado e na pele, responsáveis por lesöes cutâneas em áreas expostas ao sol. OBJETIVOS - Determinar a espécie animal que melhor corresponda ao modelo experimental da PCT, para o estudo de lesöes cutâneas relacionadas à fotossensibilidade. MÉTODO - Ratos, cobaias e camundongos foram submetidos a uma dieta contendo um dos fatores desencadeantes da PCT, o hexaclorobenzeno (HCB), na concentraçäo de 0,25 porcento. Após o surgimento da PCT, os animais foram expostos à radiaçäo ultravioleta, as porfirinas uninárias dosadas e as manifestaçöes cutâneas de fotossensibilidade anotadas, e, comparadas ao grupo controle. RESULTADOS - Somente os ratos apresentaram aumento da excreçäo de porfirinas urinárias, principalmente de uroporfirinas: 60,81ug/24h, comparados aos controles: 0,9ug/24h, neurotoxicidade e lesöes cutâneas em àreas fotoexpostas. CONCLUSÄO - Considerando-se as três espécies de animais estudadas, os ratos apresentaram quadro semelhante à PCT encontrada no homem. Em relaçäo às cobaias, sugere-se administrar dieta contendo menor concentraçäo de HCB e prolongar o tempo do experimento. Os camundongos näo se adequaram ao modelo experimental

Reticuloide actínico: a propósito de una observación / Actinic reticuloid: case report

Se presenta un caso de Reticuloide actínico, en un hombre de 52 años, de 10 años de evolución. Se estudió la población linfocitaria T a nivel sérico a través de anticuerpos monoclonales y la presencia de inmunocomplejos circulantes. Se discuten las distintas terapéuticas existentes y la escasa respuesta obtenida