Evaluation the effect of phototherapy/ photochemotherapy in morphea

Aim: Evaluation the effect of phototherapy/photochemotherapy in morphea retrospectivelyMaterial and Method: 36 patients with morphea were retrospectively evaluated. These patients referred to Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine Dermatology Department between May 2004-March 2010 and definite diagnosis were made by clinically and by histopathologically. Their information were obtained from computer records, from their files and from the records of phototherapy unit of dermatology department. These patients were evaluated according to their age, sex, clinical properties, phototherapy/photochemotherapy protocols that were applied, the clinical response to the treatment, side effects, relapse, and the histopathologic response to the treatment. Clinical recovery was evaluated by inspection and by palpation. Patients who had clinical recovery signs such as disappearing of sclerosis and erythema and histopathologic recovery signs were taken into maintenance treatment protocol.Findings: 2 patient with plaque type morphea were treated with broad band UVA phototerapy ,1 patient with plaque type morphea was treated with narrow band UVB phototherapy, 1 lineer type morphea (in the extremities) was treated with systemic PUVA, 2 patient (1 patient plaque and another lineer type) were treated with broad band UVA + emollient , 2 patient with plaque type morphea was treated with narrow band UVB + emollient, 1 patient with plaque type morphea was treated with broad band UVB + emollient, 3 patient (2 plaque type morphea , 1 lineer type morphea) were treated with broad band UVB+ calcipotriol and. 24 (20 plaque type morphea and 4 lineer type morphea) patients were treated with broad band UVA + calcipotriol.Result: More effective and reliable results were obtained in early morphea patients treated with phototherapy/photochemotherapy. We suggest that systemic PUVA should be applied to the severe cases and to the carefully chosen patients who have severe deformity risk. We suggest that its effect must be investigated prospectively and with greater number of cases. We believe that adding calcipotriol to the phototherapy protocols (such as broad band UVB, broad band UVA) makes prominent increase in expected therapeutic response. We believe that in morphea in order to detect the efficacy of phototherapy/photochemotherapy, prospective comparative investigations with greater number of cases will be useful.Key Word: Morphea, phototherapy, photochemotherapy.