Analysis of patients with suspected photosensitivity referred for investigation to an Australian photodermatology clinic.

Abstract

Australia's first dedicated photodermatology clinic was established at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne in 1993. We sought to review clinical diagnoses and results of investigations performed on patients seen at this institution. A database was created to enable a retrospective and prospective analysis of all patients attending for evaluation of suspected photosensitivity from April 1993 to October 2000. A total of 513 patients were seen, 289 (56.3%) female and 224 (43.7%) male, with a mean age of 45.2 years (range: 2.6-85.9). A photosensitive disorder was diagnosed in 397 patients (77.4%), with the acquired idiopathic photodermatoses accounting for diagnoses in 215 (41.9%) of all patients seen. The most common diagnosis was polymorphous light eruption. Reduced minimal erythema doses were seen in 25.3% of all patients light tested. In those photopatch tested, 23.3% had at least 1 photocontact reaction. Allergic contact dermatitis in a photosensitive distribution was diagnosed in 7.4% of the clinic population. A large proportion of referrals to a photodermatology clinic comprise people with acquired idiopathic photodermatoses, with other common diagnoses that may mimic photosensitivity including allergic contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and rosacea.