Erythematous granuloma annulare has responded dramatically to narrow-band therapy, he says. "I certainly have cleared people who have widespread granuloma annulare, and it certainly can be considered," although "I think UVA-1 is probably better," he said.

San Francisco Phototherapy still plays a very useful role in the dermatologists treatment armamentarium, despite therapeutic advances and the advent of biologic drugs for treating many skin diseases, said Michael D. Zanolli, M.D., of Nashville, Tenn., who spoke Friday at the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology here.

While narrow-band ultraviolet therapy is used much of the time in the treatment of psoriasis, it can be useful in many other indications, says Dr. Zanolli, who is president of the Photomedicine Society.

Dr. Zanolli gave a snapshot presentation of the use of phototherapy in his solo practice. During the month of February, he noted, he had 53 active phototherapy patients undergoing treatment for a variety of conditions. Most of the patients received two to three treatments per week, said Dr. Zanolli, who discussed both full body and localized delivery.

"I love to say Im just a simple dermatologist," he said. "But I treat a lot of diseases."

UVB therapy is considered first-line treatment for vitiligo, which is the second-most-common condition treated, he says.

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