Diagnosis: Actinic Reticuloid (Chronic actinic dermatitis )
Severely itchy, red, inflamed, and thickened dry skin, mainly in areas that have been exposed to sunlight.
Severely itchy, red, inflamed, and thickened dry skin, mainly in areas that have been exposed to sunlight.
Submitted by Alaa Saad. Originally posted November 20, 2010.
See case discussion.
• Lupus erythematosus • Solar urticaria • Photoallergic drug eruption • Erythema multiforme • Actinic prurigo • Porphyria
• Most common photodermatosis — pruritic papules/plaques on sun-exposed skin in spring/early summer • "Hardening" phenomenon: lesions improve with repeated sun exposure as summer progresses • Consistent morphology within individual patients but polymorphic between patients • Delayed onset: hours to days after UV exposure (distinguishes from solar urticaria) • More common in fair-skinned, females, and in northern latitudes • Photoprotection and controlled phototherapy ("desensitization") before summer are effective
Tags: actinic, reticuloid, chronic, dermatitis, alaa saad