Abstract:
Aim: To determine the safety and efficacy of narrow band ultravoilet-B radiations in chronic hand eczema. Methods: 62 patients were enrolled from OPD of Dermatology Unit-II, KEMU/ Mayo Hospital, Lahore. They were given phototherapy treatment through NB-UVB local chamber, thrice weekly (on fixed days) for a total of 12-weeks or until clearance. Patients were followed up fortnightly for further 1 month and final assessment was done at the end of one month. Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) Score was used to assess the severity of eczema affecting the hands. Results: The data was collected from 62 patients with 0% dropout. There was only one patient who had improvement <25%, 4(6.45%) had improvement 25-50%, 8(12.90%) had 51-75% improvement and 49(79.03%) cases had improvement >75%. Minimal side effects were seen which included erythema, photosensitivity, itching and pain. Conclusion: NB-UBV is a safe as well as effective treatment option for chronic eczema of hands.