Photosensitisation
From Ganfyd
Web Resources for Photosensitisation
Relevant Clinical Literature
UK Guidance
Other Wikis
Medpedia on Photosensitisation (Less technical, good quality control)
Wikipedia on Photosensitisation (Less technical, ? quality control)
Drugs do it by various mechanisms including either direct phototoxicity or photoallergic contact dermatitis:
- Amantadine
- Amiodarone - phototoxic
- Amitriptyline
- Antipsychotic drugs
- Azelaic acid
- Coal tar products - phototoxic
- Dong quai (Chinese herbal medicine)
- Felodipine
- Methotrexate (rare)
- Metformin (rare)
- Nortriptyline
- NSAIDs - phototoxic and photoallergic
- Quinolones - phototoxic
- Retinoids - phototoxic
- St John's wort
- Sulfasalazine (Sulphasalazine)
- Sulphonamides
- Tetracyclines - phototoxic
- Thiazide diuretics - photoallergic
- Voriconazole can be severe
Direct phototoxicity is used therapeutically eg:
- Psoralens - phototoxic
- Psoriasis as with 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) or trimethylpsoralen (TMP)
- Aminolaevulinic acid (ALA, 5-aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride) which is metabolised in the cell to form protoporphyrin which is phototoxic
- Methyl aminolaevulinate (MAL)
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for:
- Malignant parotid tumours
- High-grade dysplasia in Barrett’s oesophagus
- Oesophageal cancer
- Endobronchial cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Bile duct cancer
- Skin tumours such as actinic keratoses
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for:
Increased risk with xeroderma pigmentosum, cutaneous porphyria and pellagra.
This article is a work in progress. Please feel free to contribute to it.
