Resolution of aquagenic pruritus with intermittent UVA/NBUVB combined therapy

摘要

To the Editor, Aquagenic pruritus (AP) is a rare skin disease of unknown etiology characterized by the abrupt onset of pruritus without visible cutaneous lesions after contact with water or humidity. AP can have a severe impact on the patient's quality of life. Although AP is mostly idiopathic, it can be associated with polycythemia vera, other hematologic disorders and medications. Treatment is challenging and often disappointing, and may consist in topical agents such as capsaicin 0.025%-1.0%, alkaline baths and glycerol trinitrate 2%. Systemic therapy includes antihistamines, propanolol, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, opioid receptor antagonists, anticonvulsants, and phototherapy— perhaps the most effective treatment-including psoralene+UVA (PUVA), narrow band UVB (NBUVB), broad band UVB (BBUVB), and UVA/NBUVB combined therapy (UVA/NBUVB). Here, we describe a patient with AP who presented complete resolution of the symptomatology with a UVA/NBUVB therapy cycle (17 to 26 sessions) once a year.