AMBULATORY MONITORING OF ULTRAVIOLET ERYTHEMA IN PHOTOSENSITIVE SUBJECTS

Little is known about whether patients with photosensitive disorders e xhibit a different ultraviolet erythema time course from subjects with a normal response to sunlight. We have described the application of a n instrument for ambulatory monitoring of the development of ultraviol et erythema by a reflectance method in a group of patients with chroni c actinic dermatitis (CAD) and in a group of normal subjects. Investig ations of the time course have been reported previously but the techni ques used relied upon manual measurement. Consequently sampling freque ncies have been considerably lower than the one-minute sample rate use d here. We have not demonstrated any difference in the rate at which e rythema develops and peaks between patients with CAD and subjects with a normal response to sunlight.