Oral methoxsalen photochemotherapy of extensive pityriasis alba: preliminary report

Six patients with extensive pityriasis alba were treated with oral methoxsalen, followed by exposure to midday summer sun or exposure to long-wave ultraviolet radiation in a psoralens plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) cabinet. Complete clearing or marked improvement was obtained in five patients in less than 4 weeks of treatment. The patient with the most extensive skin involvement and the longest duration of the disease achieved a marked degree of improvement after 15 weeks of therapy. A long-term follow-up is still required to define the maintenance treatment and its efficacy.