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    J Am Acad Dermatol. 2004 Feb;50(2 Suppl):S57-60.

    Juvenile spring eruption: clinicopathologic features and phototesting results in 4 cases.

    Stratigos AJ, Antoniou C, Papadakis P, Papapostolou A, Sabatziotis D, Tranaka K, Tsara K, Katsambas AD.

    Department of Dermatology, Photobiology Unit, University of Athens, Andreas Sygros Hospital, 5 Dragoumi Street, Athens 161 21, Greece. alstrat@hol.gr

    Juvenile spring eruption is a distinct photodermatosis characterized by the development of papules and vesicles on light-exposed areas of the ears usually in the early springtime. It primarily affects boys and young men, and has a tendency to occur in the form of small epidemics. We report a similar outbreak in separate groups of soldiers who were performing military exercises during cold and sunny weather of a midwinter season. The clinicopathologic features and phototesting results are described in 4 of these cases. All patients showed normal erythemal responses to monochromator phototesting with UV and visible wave bands. Photoprovative testing with repeated daily exposures of the ears to a broadband UVA source provoked diffuse erythema and itching in 1 case, whereas similar photoprovocation of a nonaffected area, ie, the flexor surface of the forearm, in 2 patients did not yield a skin reaction. Although the cause of juvenile spring eruption is not known, our observations further strengthen the hypothesis that the disorder is a localized variant of polymorphous light eruption.

    PMID: 14726868 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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