Seven Casees of Local PUVA-bath Therapy in Nagoya City Midori Municipal Hospital / 日本温泉気候物理医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

<B>Objective</B><BR>  PUVA therapy (combination of 8-methoxypsoralen and UVA irradiation) is commonly applied for treatment of psoriasis, pustulosis palmaris et plantaris and atopic dermatitis among dermatologists. PUVA bath therapy (PUVA soak therapy) is an arranged method of topical PUVA therapy, irradiate UVA just after soaking bath with 8-methoxypsoralen aqueous solution. It's speculated to cause less carcinogenesis and less general side effects than oral or classical topical PUVA therapy. The local PUVA bath therapy is an applied method of PUVA bath therapy which uses a wash-basin to soak hands or feet. This time 7 patients were treated with this method.<BR><B>Methods</B><BR>  Prepared in a wash-basin 0.0001% 8-methoxypsoralen in 37-40°C water and soaked lesion area for 15 minutes and irradiate UVA immediately after soaking. The UVA-radiation was done once every week. Started with UVA-dose of 0.5J/cm<SUP>2</SUP> for all patients, and increase doses by 0.5J/cm<SUP>2</SUP> for each therapy up to maximum single UVA-dose of 2.5 or 3.0J/cm<SUP>2</SUP>. 7 patients (age 41-76 years, 3 men and 4 women, 3 psoriasis vulgaris and 4 pustulosis palmaris et plantaris) treated with this therapy and total UVA-dose was ranging from 22.1to 63.5J/cm<SUP>2</SUP>.<BR><B>Results</B><BR>  One patient dropped out. Among the the remaining six patients, one patient showed no improvement and one other patient showed improvement but was relapsed just after the end of treatment. Four patients showed improvement and one of them (pustulosis palmaris et plantaris) have kept good condition over two years after treatment.<BR><B>Discussion</B><BR>  Local PUVA bath therapy is good treatment because it can be done easily to ambulatory patients if a UVA-lump is available, and some patients gain long-term remission.