Phototherapy for atopic dermatitis

The beneficial effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on atopic dermatitis h as been appreciated for many years. While broadband UVB and psoralen UVA ha ve been the mainstay of phototherapy for some time, the past 5 years have s een the introduction of phototherapeutic modalities, including UVA-1 and 31 1nm UVB. The best modality and mode of usage is dependent on the type of at opic dermatitis, severity and body site. T lymphocytes play an important ro le in disease pathogenesis and UV radiation has profound effects on skin an d systemic immune responses.