Phytophotodermatitis

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Phytophotodermatitis is a chemical reaction which makes skin hypersensitive to ultraviolet light. It is frequently mistaken for hereditary conditions such as atopic dermatitis or chemical burns, but it is caused by contact with the photosensitizing compounds found naturally in some plants.^[1]

Contents 1 Symptoms 2 Causes 3 Treatment 4 References

[edit] Symptoms

The symptoms are equivalent to photodermatitis, but vary in degree.

[edit] Causes

• Umbelliferae^[2]
  • Wild parsnip^[3]
  • Giant hogweed^[4]
• Rutaceae
  • Lime^[5][6]
• Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which can infect celery^[7]

[edit] Treatment

Phytophotodermatitis takes 10 minutes to set in after exposure to a photosensitizing plant. If you get indoors within 10 minutes you are safe, because artificial light does not cause blistering; but you must remain indoors for 6-8 hours.

[edit] References

1. ^ http://archfami.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/9/10/1195
2. ^ http://dermnetnz.org/reactions/photocontact-dermatitis.html
3. ^ http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1343418
4. ^ http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=x20060802142545511440
5. ^ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10195477
6. ^ http://www.consultantlive.com/display/article/10162/43009
7. ^ http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/00000464.htm