Drug-Induced Photosensitivity
Abstract
Drug-induced photosensitivity is an abnormal skin reaction to light in individuals exposed to a drug, whom, in the absence of the culprit drug, would tolerate the same amount of light exposure. It can present as an acute or delayed clinical picture, with polymorphic features ranging from an exaggerate sunburn to acute eczema, photoonycholysis, pseudo-porphyria, pigmentation or cutaneous lupus erythematosus. The authors describe the drugs involved in these photosensitivity reactions and their main clinical pictures and discuss the possibility that these drugs can enhance photocarcinogenesis. Clinical recognition of these clinical patterns is of outmost importance in order to avoid the culprit drug and consequently improve or resolve photosensitivity.
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