INDUCTION OF DARIER-WHITE DISEASE WITH UVB RADIATION IN A CLINICALLY PHOTO-INSENSITIVE PATIENT

Combination UVA/UVB radiation and UVB radiation alone have been shown to induce the lesions of Darier-White disease. However, 6% of patients with Darier-White disease claim that sunlight ameliorates their condi tion. We performed an unblinded, side-by-side controlled trial of UVB, UVA, and combination UVB/UVA phototherapy in a patient with historica lly photoameliorated Darier-White disease to determine whether phototh erapy was beneficial, to determine whether phototherapy-related heat w as detrimental, and to confirm, with appropriate controls, the action spectrum of the disease. Phototherapy with radiation in the UVB but no t UVA spectrum evoked Darier-White disease in this patient, both clini cally and histologically. UVB radiation was capable of inducing Darier -White disease in vivo in spite of a history of photoamelioration, whe reas UVA radiation alone and the heat associated with phototherapy in our protocol had no effect on the disease.