The Natural History of Chronic Actinic Dermatitis

Abstract

Chronic actinic dermatitis is a photosensitivity disorder with scant epidemiologic data. Case series in Europe have previously shown that improvement or resolution of chronic actinic dermatitis occurs over time in most patients. However, the natural history of chronic actinic dermatitis in patients in the United States has not been studied. To study the natural history of chronic actinic dermatitis in patients in the United States. We performed a retrospective chart review and telephone questionnaire after a 3- to 19-year follow-up period. Of 20 patients with chronic actinic dermatitis, 7 patients (35%) experienced resolution and an additional 11 patients (55%) experienced improvement of their photosensitivity to sunlight during the follow-up period. The proportion of patients experiencing improvement or resolution of their chronic actinic dermatitis increased at 5, 10, and 15 years after diagnosis. Our study demonstrates that abnormal photosensitivity to sunlight in chronic actinic dermatitis improves or resolves over time in most patients in New York. The rates of improvement or resolution in our patients in New York are similar to the rates in case series in Europe despite likely patient demographic differences.