• Home
• Products
  • UV Phototherapy
  • Derma 308
  • MED/MPD Tester
• Order
• FAQ
  • UV Phototherapy
  • Viedo
  • Instruction
  • Real stories
• Membership
• Contact
•  
• KERNEL
  • KERNEL Website
  • Colposcope
  • Photodynamic therapy
  • Patient monitor

Narrowband ultraviolet B (311 nm, TL01) phototherapy in chronic ordinary urticaria.

Aydogan K1, Karadogan SK, Tunali S, Saricaoglu H.

Author information

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Chronic ordinary urticaria (COU) can severely reduce quality of life and be difficult to control. Ultraviolet (UV) A and UVB 

phototherapy has been reported to decrease the release of histamine from either mast cells and/or basophils. Previous small 

studies have suggested that UVB phototherapy is a good alternative treatment for COU.

OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of narrow-band UVB (NB-UVB) phototherapy for COU.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Twenty-two patients (three male, 19 female) received NB-UVB phototherapy. These patients had not responded to at least two H1 

antihistamines, and most had been treated with a variety of antihistamine combinations. Clinical responses were assessed 

according to an outcome scoring scale. During both visits, patients were administered the following: the visual analogue 

scale (VAS) on present pruritus and/or whealing; chronic urticaria impact on patients' quality of life according to the 

interference with daily activities, quality of sleep, and flare-up rates.

RESULTS:

The median number of treatments was 31.4 (9-44), and the mean top dose was 9.46 J/cm(2) (1.1-16.4 J/cm(2)). NB-UVB treatment 

led to clearance in 10 patients (45%), marked improvement in five (22%), and moderate improvement in seven (31%) patients 

according to an outcome scoring scale. Mild side effects were observed in two patients. Six patients who cleared or observed 

marked improvement remained clear at follow-up for a period of six months to one year, and other patients had a few recurrent 

lesions that did not need retreatment. For VAS scores and total chronic urticaria impact on patients' quality of life scores, 

the differences between baseline and after treatment scores were significantly lower (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION:

Narrow-band UVB (NB-UVB) therapy is an effective, well-tolerated treatment option in second-line therapy for COU. This 

therapy can lead to subjective relief of pruritus and whealing and objective reduction of whealing. Further larger studies 

with longer follow-up periods are necessary to determine the proper clinical response and long-term complications of this 

therapy in COU.

www.kerneluvb.com----The leader manufacturer of UV Phototherapy.