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Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, MD

Arch Dermatol. 1988;124(6):869-871.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

The concept of sun-reactive "skin typing" was created in 1975¹ for a specific need: to be able to classify persons with white skin in order to select the correct initial doses of ultraviolet A (UVA) (in joules per cubic centimeter) in the application of the then newly developed technique for the treatment of psoriasis—oral methoxsalen photochemotherapy (PUVA).² The need arose as a result of experience with several patients who were a "dark" phenotype (brown or even black hair, and some with brown eyes) but, to our surprise, developed severe phototoxic reactions following oral ingestion of 0.6 mg/kg of methoxsalen and then, two hours later, were exposed to 4 to 6 J/cm². These initial doses were obviously too high, and it was then understood that the estimation of the white-skinned person's tolerance level to oral PUVA could not be based solely on the phenotype (hair and eye color). . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Department of Dermatology Harvard Medical School Boston, MA 02114

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