ABSTRACT
DEFINITION AND CLINICAL FEATURES Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) is the single most common photorelated dermatosis, although it is less common in elderly than in younger patients. As the name implies, the condition is polymorphous, but it typically consists of pruritic, erythematous papules coalescing into plaques on the photoexposed face, neck, upper extremities, and upper trunk (58). Generally, the lesions develop 30 min to several hours after UV exposure and then resolve over several days. For most patients with PMLE, the condition is worse in the early spring and improves throughout the summer and fall due to skin ‘hardening.’
