What is PUVA therapy used for?

PUVA is usually reserved for patients whose psoriasis is severe or is not responding adequately to other treatments. In most patients PUVA is effective at clearing psoriasis although psoriasis in body areas shielded from light (eg scalp, body folds) may not clear satisfactorily with PUVA.

How long does PUVA treatment last?

How often will I need to have this treatment? You will have to attend a PUVA treatment session every Monday and Friday for up to ten weeks. The maximum number of treatments per course, except for vitiligo and atopic eczema patients, is 30, unless your doctors advise otherwise.

Which one is used in PUVA?

PUVA or photochemotherapy is a type of ultraviolet radiation treatment (phototherapy) used for severe skin diseases. PUVA is a combination treatment which consists of Psoralens (P) and then exposing the skin to UVA (long wave ultraviolet radiation). It has been available in its present form since 1976.

How effective is PUVA therapy?

PUVA treatment is a very effective and safe treatment option for patients whose psoriasis is not well controlled on topical therapies alone. PUVA may also be a viable option for patients who have failed UVB therapy.

What is the full name of PUVA?

PUVA is an acronym for psoralen plus ultraviolet-A radiation. This form of photochemical therapy is commonly used in the treatment of psoriasis and vitiligo, but it is also beneficial in other dermatologic diseases.

Is PUVA treatment safe?

PUVA is a safe and effective treatment for psoriasis. Recently, a newer treatment has supplanted it to some extent, utilizing a different wavelength of light called “narrow band UVB.” Although a visit to a physician’s office is still necessary to administer the light, it is not necessary to take a drug by mouth.

Which of the following is a precaution to patient on PUVA?

Patients should avoid exposure to sunlight, even through window glass, for 24 h after treatment with PUVA. Patients should apply sunscreen with Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or above to any sun-exposed skin for at least 24 h after PUVA treatment.

Is psoriasis treated by PUVA?

PUVA, or psoralen plus ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation, is one of the oldest, most effective treatments for psoriasis.