A Case of Photosensitivity Induced by the Hormonal Replacement Agents Containing Estrogen and Progesterone / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

Estrogen and progesterone are widely used in oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapies and are rarely known to cause a photosensitive reaction. We report a case of photosensitivity induced by the hormonal replacement agents containing estrogen and progesterone. A 36-year-old woman reported a 3-year history of erythematous papules and diffuse erythema on sun-exposed areas. She had taken the hormonal agents for 5 years, following a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for cervical cancer. A phototest showed a marked decrease in the minimal erythema dose (MED) of UVA (3J/cm2) and UVB (30mJ/cm2). After the cessation of the hormonal agents, the skin lesions subsided with the disappearance of photosensitivity, and the MED was raised to 5J/cm2(UVA) and 90mJ/cm2 (UVB).