Newly Developed Phototherapy for Atopic Dermatitis

In the treatment of atopic dermatitis ultraviolet therapy is considered the second line of treatment, when adverse reactions occur and control is difficult with topical steroid treatment given as first-line treatment. Recently, ultraviolet A-1 (UVA1, 340-400 nm) therapy and narrow-band UVB (311 nm) therapy have been developed and applied to treatment of refractory skin diseases. In Europe, narrow-band UVB therapy is already used more often than psoralens plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy for atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and several other skin diseases. Another newly developed device that has improved and expanded the spectrum of skin diseases amenable to phototherapy is UVA1. With this modality, doses of UVA1 (340 to 400 nm) up to 130 J/cm2 are delivered to diseased skin. UVA1 was first used to treat patients with atopic dermatitis, but it has since been found to be efficacious in several other skin diseases, such as localized scleroderma, where other therapeutic options are limited. These two newly developed phototherapies demonstrate that the introduction of new spectra into dermatologic phototherapy has broadened and improved phototherapy as it relates to established indications such as atopic dermatitis.