Treatment of solar urticaria using antihistamine and leukotriene receptor antagonist combinations tailored to disease severity

Abstract

Background: Solar urticarial (SU) is characterized by erythema, whealing, and/or pruritus occurring minutes after sun exposure. Treatment is difficult and often unsatisfactory.

Objectives: To determine the action spectra and minimal urticaria dose (MUD) and to tailor a treatment regimen graded according to disease severity in a series of patients with SU.

Patients and methods: Eleven patients (seven females, four males, age range: 5-60 years) with a clinical history suggestive of SU, verified by photo-provocation tests to ultraviolet A (UVA), visible light, and/or UVB, were treated with various combinations of antihistamines and leukotriene receptor antagonist.

Results: All patients were sensitive to visible light (median MUD 50 J/cm(2)). Three patients were sensitive to UVA (median MUD 3.75 J/cm(2)), and one patient was sensitive to UVB (MUD of 0.03 J/cm(2)). Two patients experienced a spontaneous remission without treatment. One patient declined treatment. The remaining eight patients were managed by a combination of antihistamines (desloratidine, fexofenadine, cetirizine HCl) and a leukotriene receptor antagonist (montelukast). Seven of the 8 patients experienced a sustained remission of symptoms and signs following treatment.

Conclusions: Photoprovocation for SU with determination of action spectra and MUD enables specifically tailored treatment regimens consisting of combinations of antihistamines and leukotriene receptor antagonist.

Keywords: antihistamines; leukotriene receptor antagonist; photoprovocation; solar urticaria.