Diseases Related to Light Sensitivity

Light Tests and Pathogenetic Wavelengths in Chronic Polymorphous Light Dermatosis

“…Probably the pathogenetic wavelengths vary in every case, but an im portant m inority of the patients are sensitive to UV-A. This had been found by Barber and Ilowitt (1926), Kesten and Slatkin (1953), Scott and Molhuysen-van der Walle (1958), and Rottier (1963. Probably the investigation of Magnus (1964) is more or less a definite answer to the problem.…”

The pathophysiology of photosensitivity in lupus erythematosus

“…In one large cohort, lupus-specific cutaneous findings such as malar rash (acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus -ACLE) and discoid lupus (chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus -CCLE) were found in 64% and 31% of patients, respectively (1). There is a clear relationship between sunlight exposure and the manifestations of cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and lesions tend to occur in sun-exposed skin (3,4). Up to 73% of patients with systemic LE report photosensitivity (5), although this correlates poorly with results of phototesting using standardized protocols (6).…”

Darier's disease: a kindred with a large number of cases

“…The fact that the Allegheny mountain region, throughout which the members of this kindred were located, has one of the lowest average amounts of sunlight in the contiguous forty-eight states (Fry, 1963) may contribute to their reproductive success. Since sun exposure is known to aggravate the symptoms of Darier's disease (Kesten & Slatkin, 1953;Preissman, 1946), the reduced sunlight in the area where most members of this kindred reside may reduce the severity of the symptoms and increase the likelihood of finding a marriage partner.…”