ABSTRACT
Cutaneous phototoxicity is a process that develops when selected drugs and chemicals, capable of absorbing radiant energy, are present in the skin and are activated to produce an inflammatory response by the appropriate wavelengths of ultraviolet and/or visible radiation. Cutaneous phototoxicity encompasses photosensitivity caused by the presence of endogenous and exogenous photosensitizers within the skin. This chapter focuses on examples of phototoxicity caused by exogenous agents. The mechanism by which drugs and chemicals produce cutaneous photosensitivity is complex and has not been fully elucidated. The chapter discusses the pathogenesis of psoralen photosensitivity. Other photosensitivity diseases they are confined to exposed areas of skin, which include the forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, ears, V of the neck, and dorsal hands. Phototoxic reactions may manifest in the nails as onycholysis, a finding that may occur in association with, or independent of, other cutaneous manifestations of phototoxicity. The chapter discusses that drugs are nalidixic acid, furosemide, tetracyclines, phenothiazines, amiodarone, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory a.
