Narrow-band ultraviolet B phototherapy in childhood

Background: Narrow-band ultraviolet B (UVB) has been used for skin diseases in children. However, the use of phototherapy in childhood has limited due to the possible risk of skin cancer. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the narrow-band UVB phototherapy in children for the treatment of various skin diseases. Methods: The data of the children aged 16 years or under who were treated with narrow-band UVB in our clinic's phototherapy unit were analyzed, retrospectively. Results: The study included 77 children (42 girls, 35 boys) aged 5-16 years (mean 12.18 +/- 3.53) who were treated with a total of 81 courses of narrow-band UVB phototherapy in the last 4.5 years. The majority of patients had vitiligo (47%) and psoriasis (39%). Thirty-four (44.2%) patients showed complete response, 15 (19.5%) good response, 12 (15.6%) partial response, 5 (6.5%) poor response and 11(14.3%) no response. Acute side effects of phototherapy were observed only in 11 (14.3%) patients. Conclusions: Narrow-band UVB phototherapy is an effective and well-tolerated treatment in childhood.