Asst. Prof. Dr. Didem Mullaaziz, specialist from the Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases of the Near East University Hospital gave information about the treatment of PUVA or with its other known name, Phototherapy Treatment Method which has been in use for many years in the treatment of many skin diseases such as psoriasis, vitiligo, eczema, chronic itching and mycosis fungoides which is a kind of skin cancer. Assist. Prof. Dr. Didem Mullaaziz said "PUVA treatment is carried out in a very few centers in our country. The bathroom PUVA treatment which is one of the treatment methods of PUVA is carried out only in our hospital.
What is PUVA therapy?
Assist. Prof. Dr. Didem Mullaaziz, who is practicing the treatment of PUVA at the Dermatology outpatient clinic of the Near East University Hospital, said that PUVA is a treatment method that uses ultraviolet A rays (UVA) together with light sensitizing agent known as Psoralen (P) in a device that produces useful solar radiation which is developed by the medical technologies advancing parallel to scientific studies.
Success Rates in PUVA Treatment
Assist. Prof. Dr. Mullaaziz said that the PUVA treatment having high success rates stops the disease, reduces the formation of new lesions, or reduces the formation of the diseases, or helps to take the progress of the disease under control. Mullaaziz added tht the purpose of treatment is providing a period of long-term recovery. Assist. Prof. Dr. Didem Mullaaziz continued as follows; Although the mean duration of treatment is usually 2 to 3 months, a longer treatment period may be required in some skin diseases. The treatment program is intermittent, depending on the type of skin disease and the intensity of the part of the body taken under treatment. The treatment can be applied 2 or 3 times a week or 1, 1 or 2 times in 2 weeks, depending on the responses received. Sometimes patients can be given continuation treatment. The treatment sessions start with only a few seconds of light exposure and the times are gradually increased in each session.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Didem Mullaaziz; "Bathroom PUVA Treatment is only applied in our hospital in our country"
As PUVA treatment differs according to the type of disease, location and patient's condition, Assist. Prof. Dr. Didem Mullaaziz stated that there are different applications of PUVA such as the general PUVA, local PUVA, comb PUVA and bathroom PUVA. Didem Mullaaziz continued as follows; "General PUVA treatment is carried out in a closed cabinet and the patient is given a photo-sensitizing medication that is sensitive to light before treatment. Local PUVA treatment is preferred in diseases where lesions are limited to hands and feet. In the treatment of Local PUVA, photodializing gels are applied to lesion areas before practicing the light treatment. Scalp PUVA treatment is used in patients with scalp lesions. The Bath PUVA treatment is preferred in patients who have common lesions in the body but who cannot use oral photosensitizing drugs. The patient is placed in a cuvette filled with water prepared by adding photo-stimulating gel and light treatment is taken in the cabin. The PUVA treatment is performed in very few centers in our country. Bathroom PUVA treatment, which is one of the treatment methods, is applied only in our hospital."
Considerations for Treatment
As well as explaining the issues to be considered before and during the treatment, Assist. Prof. Dr. Didem Mullaaziz stated that before the treatment of PUVA, facial and body moles were closed, to prevent the damage of eyes during the treatment of UV lights, and while the patients are in the cabin, they are given sunglasses. Assist. Prof. Dr. Didem Mullaaziz also pointed out that systemic photodetermination drugs are used in the patient before the general PUVA treatment would create light sensitivity in the eyes and patients should use UV protective sunglasses for 24 hours after the treatment session. In spite of the dryness of the skin after PUVA treatment, patients should use moisturizing creams.