Naval Medical Clinic, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA.
Photosensitivity reactions associated with the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs may be classified as phototoxic (caused by potentiation of solar energy by a drug) or photoallergic (in which the combination of a photosensitizing agent and light evokes a true cell-mediated hypersensitivity response). A case of a photoallergic response related to the use of piroxicam is included to illustrate the presentation and management of photosensitivity reactions to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.