Participation
mycosis fungoides, heart disease, impaired liver or kidney functions, heart diseases, allergies, hypersensitivity, hypopigmented lesions
MYCOSIS FUNGOIDES, HEART DISEASE, PHOTOSENSITIZING, DISEASE, RECRUITMENT, HEART DISEASES, ALLERGIES, PHOTOSENSITIVITY, HYPERSENSITIVITY, ERUPTION
Given the rarity of the disease, a 12-month recruitment period was assigned. During this period, 30 patients with PLC (confirmed histopathologically) presenting consecutively to the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic were assessed based on certain inclusion and exclusion criteria for their eligibility to be enrolled in the study.Assessment included: complete medical history [personal history, history of present illness, history of relevant allergies (specifically to azithromycin), photosensitivity, chronic medical illnesses, heart diseases and drug history (specifically photosensitizing drugs)] and routine laboratory work up [complete blood count (CBC), liver function tests (aspartate transaminase, AST and alanine transaminase, ALT) and kidney function tests (urea and creatinine)].Included in the study were patients from either sex with age of 6 years or more who presented with classic papular eruption of PLC (with or without associated hypopigmented lesions). Excluded from the study were patients presenting with only hypopigmented macules (with PLC-like picture in their skin biopsy), patients with PLC associated with mycosis fungoides (MF), patients with known absolute contraindications to NB-UVB, patients with impaired liver or kidney functions, patients with history of any heart disease as well as patients with known hypersensitivity to azithromycin.Accordingly, 24 patients were enrolled in the therapeutic phase of the trial. A wash out period of at least 1 month from any topical or systemic treatment that can affect the course of PLC was adopted (including steroids, antibiotics, or phototherapy).