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Dermatology

Narrowband UVB Phototherapy

Overview

UVB (ultraviolet B light) is the most common form of phototherapy used to treat various skin diseases, including psoriasis, eczema, and itching.  You will be exposed to this high-energy UV light for a varying length of time.  This treatment is not a cure, but can effectively control or improve your disease.  Patients have used this treatment successfully for many years and often area able to maintain clearance of improved skin over extended periods of time.

Each condition and patient will vary in the number of treatments needed per week and the time it will take to reach clearing.  Most patients initially require 3 to 5 treatments each week to clear their lesions.  Typically, treatments start with only a few seconds of light exposure and increase gradually as determined by the staff.  It may take 15-25 treatments or longer to improve your disease.  Not all patients will clear completely.  Many patients go into remission and may then stop treatments.

Expected benefits of phototherapy:

  1. Improvement in existing lesions.
  2. Reduction in new lesions.
  3. Remission — in many cases, UVB therapy has resulted in a near-total clearing in the disease process.  The duration of the remission also varies with the patient.  Maintenance therapy may be required.

Risks and side effects of phototherapy:

  1. The most common side-effect of this therapy is UVB-induced sunburn.  This may occur at any time during therapy.   Certain drugs may also cause you to get sunburnt.  Please let your doctor/ nurse know of any medications you are taking, or any that you begin while undergoing therapy.
  2. It is possible with any form of UV light that an increased incidence of skin cancer may occur later in some patients, usually only with many UV light treatments.
  3. UV treatments may cause dryness and itching.
  4. UV treatments may age the skin over time and may increase freckles and pigmentation of the skin.
  5. Ultraviolet rays may damage the eyes and increase your risk of cataracts.  This is preventable with proper eye protection worn during treatment.
  6. UV light may cause a flare of fever blisters and mouth sores in susceptible people.
  7. Long-term UV exposure to the unprotected genital area in men may cause an increase in genital cancer.  Therefore all men will wear an athletic supporter while in the light box.
  8. UV light may cause exacerbation of other medical conditions such as lupus erythematosus which have a sensitivity to UV wavelength.

Should you have any questions concerning any aspect of your treatment, please let us know.