Subcorneal pustular dermatosis treated with PUVA therapy. A case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Subcorneal pustular dermatosis (SPD) is a chronic recurrent pustular dermatosis of unknown etiology. Many treatments have been proposed, none of which has been uniformly successful.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose is to report a patient with SPD successfully treated by PUVA and to review the literature concerning phototherapy treatment of SPD.

METHODS: A patient suffering from SPD resistant to diaminodiphenylsulphone (dapsone) responded well to a combination therapy consisting of dapsone and PUVA. He received 50 mg/day and 3 PUVA sessions a week. Photographs were taken at baseline and after 15 sessions.

RESULTS: The lesions were virtually cleared after 15 sessions. The patient remained free of lesions with a maintenance therapy of dapsone (50 mg/ day) and 1 PUVA session a week.

CONCLUSION: The therapeutic value of phototherapy for the treatment of SPD still has to be confirmed and could be a valuable alternative for treatment-resistant patients.