Biomaterial Database

Psoralen phototherapy and phototoxicity. 1985

G J Berakha, and G Lefkovits

Psoralen therapy followed by exposure to long-wave ultraviolet (UV-A) light, a combination called PUVA therapy, stimulates pigmentation of the skin. PUVA therapy is effective in the treatment of vitiligo and hypopigmented scars. Because psoralens sensitize skin to UV-A light, phototoxic reactions are frequent. Patients with such reactions can present to the plastic surgeon because they clinically mimic thermal burns. We report a patient with vitiligo who treated herself with oral and topical psoralens and then exposed herself to sunlight. She developed an intense, burnlike reaction, with erythema, edema, and bullae. "Sunburn" may be a major injury in the psoralen user.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008730	Methoxsalen	A naturally occurring furocoumarin compound found in several species of plants, including Psoralea corylifolia. It is a photoactive substance that forms DNA ADDUCTS in the presence of ultraviolet A irradiation.	8-Methoxypsoralen,Ammoidin,Xanthotoxin,8-MOP,Deltasoralen,Dermox,Geroxalen,Meladinina,Meladinine,Meloxine,Methoxa-Dome,Méladinine,Oxsoralen,Oxsoralen-Ultra,Puvalen,Ultramop,8 MOP,8 Methoxypsoralen,8MOP,Methoxa Dome,Oxsoralen Ultra
D010787	Photosensitivity Disorders	Abnormal responses to sunlight or artificial light due to extreme reactivity of light-absorbing molecules in tissues. It refers almost exclusively to skin photosensitivity, including sunburn, reactions due to repeated prolonged exposure in the absence of photosensitizing factors, and reactions requiring photosensitizing factors such as photosensitizing agents and certain diseases. With restricted reference to skin tissue, it does not include photosensitivity of the eye to light, as in photophobia or photosensitive epilepsy.	Actinic Reticuloid Syndrome,Dermatitis, Actinic,Photodermatitis,Chronic Actinic Dermatitis,Photosensitization,Actinic Dermatitides,Actinic Dermatitides, Chronic,Actinic Dermatitis,Actinic Dermatitis, Chronic,Actinic Reticuloid Syndromes,Chronic Actinic Dermatitides,Dermatitides, Actinic,Dermatitides, Chronic Actinic,Dermatitis, Chronic Actinic,Disorder, Photosensitivity,Disorders, Photosensitivity,Photodermatitides,Photosensitivity Disorder,Reticuloid Syndrome, Actinic,Reticuloid Syndromes, Actinic,Syndrome, Actinic Reticuloid,Syndromes, Actinic Reticuloid
D011701	PUVA Therapy	Photochemotherapy using PSORALENS as the photosensitizing agent and ultraviolet light type A (UVA).	Psoralen Ultraviolet A Therapy,Therapy, PUVA,PUVA Therapies,Therapies, PUVA
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D013472	Sunlight	Irradiation directly from the sun.	Sunshine
D014820	Vitiligo	A disorder consisting of areas of macular depigmentation, commonly on extensor aspects of extremities, on the face or neck, and in skin folds. Age of onset is often in young adulthood and the condition tends to progress gradually with lesions enlarging and extending until a quiescent state is reached.
D019966	Substance-Related Disorders	Disorders related to substance use or abuse.	Chemical Dependence,Drug Abuse,Drug Addiction,Drug Dependence,Drug Habituation,Drug Use Disorder,Drug Use Disorders,Organic Mental Disorders, Substance-Induced,Substance Abuse,Substance Dependence,Substance Related Disorder,Substance Use,Substance Use Disorder,Substance Use Disorders,Prescription Drug Abuse,Substance Addiction,Abuse, Drug,Abuse, Prescription Drug,Abuse, Substance,Addiction, Drug,Addiction, Substance,Chemical Dependences,Dependence, Chemical,Dependence, Drug,Dependence, Substance,Dependences, Chemical,Disorder, Drug Use,Disorder, Substance Related,Disorder, Substance Use,Disorders, Substance Related,Drug Abuse, Prescription,Habituation, Drug,Organic Mental Disorders, Substance Induced,Related Disorder, Substance,Related Disorders, Substance,Substance Abuses,Substance Uses,Use, Substance