Different low doses of broad‐band UVA in the treatment of morphea and systemic sclerosis

<jats:p><jats:bold>Background: </jats:bold> Numerous treatment modalities, some with potentially hazardous side effects, are currently used for morphea (M) and systemic sclerosis (SS) with limited success. Low‐dose ultraviolet A (UVA) phototherapy (20 J/cm<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>) was found to be highly effective for sclerotic patches, even in patients with advanced and rapidly evolving lesions.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Objective: </jats:bold> To determine the effectiveness of different low doses of UVA in treating patients with M and SS.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methods: </jats:bold> Sixty‐three patients complaining of M and 15 patients complaining of SS received 20 sessions of UVA (320–400 nm) each. Patients were divided randomly into three groups that received 5, 10 and 20 J/cm<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>, with cumulative UVA doses of 100, 200, and 400 J/cm<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>, respectively. The efficacy of therapy was judged clinically (by sequential inspection and palpation) and histopathologically by morphometry in M cases.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results: </jats:bold> Obvious clinical improvement, with no comparable differences between various low UVA doses, was noted in patients with M and SS, accompanied by histopathological changes towards normalization of collagen.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusions: </jats:bold> After 20 sessions, it appears that lower doses of UVA (5, 10 J/cm<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>) are as beneficial as the relatively higher dose (20 J/cm<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>) in the treatment of M and SS.</jats:p>