Solar urticaria

Abstract

Solar urticaria is a relatively rare immunoglobulin E-mediated photodermatosis that is caused by specific, yet diverse wavelengths of light. The history, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, histology, etiology/pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, treatment, course, and prognosis of solar urticaria are reviewed herein.

Vemurafenib: an unusual UVA‐induced photosensitivity

“…Indeed, the UVA-induced erythema appears during the UVA exposure (not after), similarly to what is observed for solar urticaria. Interestingly, these results are correlated with the in vivo situation, a burning erythema occurring after a short outside exposure of only 10-15 min and lasting for a few days contrarily to what is observed for solar urticaria (10).…”

Photosensitivity disorders in children

“…Headache, nausea, wheezing, dizziness, syncope, and, rarely, anaphylactic shock have been reported. 17 The hardening effect has been observed in SU patients, but the mechanism of SU remains elusive.…”

“…Phototesting serves as a provocative measure and a means to determine the eliciting action spectrum and the minimal urticarial dose, all of which can be of help in management. 17 Caution should be exercised when performing phototesing in exposing only small portions of the skin; in patients who are highly sensitive to UV or visible light, unintended exposure of skin surface during phototesting may provoke an anaphylactic reaction. The majority of SU patients have broad-spectrum sensitivity, particularly UVA and visible wavebands.…”

What to Do With Refractory Urticaria Patients

“…Omalizumab (Xolair; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA; Novartis, Basel, Switzerland) has been effective for some cases of cold urticaria [8]; whether this is globally true is not clear, but some cases have been shown to be IgE dependent [9,10]. Thus, omalizumab might also be useful for refractory dermatographism and solar urticaria, both of which can be IgE dependent [11][12][13][14][15]. One exception is delayed pressure urticaria, which is generally unresponsive to any antihistamine but does respond to corticosteroids.…”