Background:
Skin ageing can be differentiated into intrinsic (chronological) ageing, and photoageing due to chronic sun exposure. photoageing is the superimposition of photodamage on the ageing process.
Objectives:
The aim of the study was to investigate possible differences between the skin of photochemotherapy (puva)-treated psoriasis patients and of untreated normal subjects using a high-frequency ultrasound system.
Methods:
A total of 124 volunteers (aged 21-88 years, median 52 years, 62 female, 62 male), 62 psoriasis patients who had received puva therapy and 62 healthy controls, were investigated. skin thickness and a subepidermal low-echogenic band (sleb), a parameter for photodamage, were measured in 12 different areas.
Results:
Female skin is thinner than male skin. the skin thickness values of puva patients were more markedly decreased than those of the controls for the older patients. there was a clear dependence of the occurrence of sleb on puva therapy in psoriasis patients.
Conclusions:
Long-term puva treatment in psoriasis patients accelerates thinning of the skin in comparison to age-matched controls. the results show that ultrasonography is a sensitive method to investigate the effects of puva-induced skin ageing.