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Previous Volume 297:136-138 July 21, 1977 Number 3 Next

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Abstract

We studied the effect of ultraviolet-light phototherapy on severe persistent pruritus in 18 adult patients on hemodialysis. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two light sources. The experimental group received conventional sunburn-spectrum light in gradually increasing doses. The control group received time-matched exposures to long-wave ultraviolet light. All patients received eight exposures to the entire skin surface over a four-week treatment period. Nine of 10 patients in the sunburn-spectrum group reported marked decrease in pruritus as opposed to two of eight in the placebo group (P less than 0.01). of those responding to sunburn-spectrum light, improvement usually occurred two to three weeks into treatment. Mild sunburn, noted by some patients in this group, was the only side effect. The response to phototherapy was unaffected by the presence of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Ultraviolet phototherapy is a safe, convenient, inexpensive and effective treatment for uremic pruritus.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Garden, J. M., Ostrow, J. D., Roenigk, H. H. Jr (1985). Pruritus in Hepatic Cholestasis: Pathogenesis and Therapy. Arch Dermatol 121: 1415-1420 [Abstract]  
• Anderson, T. F., Waldinger, T. P., Voorhees, J. J. (1984). UV-B Phototherapy: An Overview. Arch Dermatol 120: 1502-1507 [Abstract]  
• Gilchrest, B. A. (1982). Pruritus: Pathogenesis, Therapy, and Significance in Systemic Disease States. Arch Intern Med 142: 101-105 [Abstract]  
• Person, J. R. (1981). Ultraviolet A (UV-A) and Cholestatic Pruritus. Arch Dermatol 117: 684-684 [Abstract]  
• Perlstein, S. M. (1981). Phototherapy for Primary Biliary Cirrhosis. Arch Dermatol 117: 608-608 [Abstract]  
• PEDERSON, J. A., MATTER, B. J., CZERWINSKI, A. W., LLACH, F. (1980). Relief of Idiopathic Generalized Pruritus in Dialysis Patients Treated with Activated Oral Charcoal. ANN INTERN MED 93: 446-448 [Abstract]  
• Shultz, B. C., Roenigk, H. H. Jr (1980). Uremic Pruritus Treated With Ultraviolet Light. JAMA 243: 1836-1837 [Abstract]  
• (1979). Nephrology: An Annotated Bibliography of Recent Literature: References to Journal Articles and Other Papers. ANN INTERN MED 91: 504-509 [Abstract]  
• GILCHREST, B. A., ROWE, J. W., BROWN, R. S., STEINMAN, T. I., ARNDT, K. A. (1979). Ultraviolet Phototherapy of Uremic Pruritus: Long-Term Results and Possible Mechanism of Action. ANN INTERN MED 91: 17-21 [Abstract]  
• WRIGHT, L. F., MYERS, W. D. (1978). Medical Management of Home Hemodialysis Patients. ANN INTERN MED 89: 367-372 [Abstract]