M. Herde

Low-dose ultraviolet-A1 phototherapy for lichen sclerosus et atrophicus.

Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by white porcelain‐like sclerotic skin lesions. It is most commonly seen in adult females and usually affects the genitoanal area. Extragenital LSA appears in 15–20% of cases. We report a 9‐year‐old Caucasian girl suffering from extragenital LSA that was resistant to conventional treatment. After 40 treatment sessions with low‐dose UVA1 phototherapy, all skin lesions were resolved completely. Moreover, the improvement of skin status has been sustained during 6‐months of follow‐up. Long‐wave UVA irradiation has been shown to induce intensively collagenase activity in human dermal fibroblasts. We suggest that UVA1 irradiation could be an effective treatment in patients suffering from extragenital LSA.

Ultraviolet protection factor of fabrics: comparison of laboratory and field-based measurements.

Background/purpose: Spectrophotometry has become an accepted laboratory‐based method for the determination of the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of fabrics. However, the validity of the UPF determined in the laboratory has been a controversial issue with regard to its significance in the field. To compare UPF values obtained by spectrophotometry, determination of the minimal erythema dose (MED), and biological dosimetry, we conducted laboratory and field‐based measurements on various fabric materials.

Sarcoid Variant of Actinic Granuloma: Is It Annular Sarcoidosis?

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disease of unknown aetiology. The most commonly involved sites are the mediastinal and peripheral lymph nodes, lungs, eyes, skin, liver and spleen. The skin lesions are usually classified according to morphological features, e.g. lupus pernio, maculopapular eruptions, infiltrated plaques, subcutaneous nodules, and scar infiltration; annular eruptions are infrequently observed. Histopathologically, sarcoid granulomas are characterized by the formation of non-caseating epithelioid cell granulomas (‘naked tubercles’) [1–3]. Cutaneous sarcoidosis is closely related to actinic granuloma (AG) which is characterized by phagocytosis of actinically damaged elastic fibres by multinucleated