What is hydroa vacciniforme?
Hydroa vacciniforme is an extremely rare form of photosensitivity. It affects predominantly children between the ages of 3 and 15, and is more common in children.
The lesions in hydroa vacciniforme develop between 30 minutes and 2 hours after exposure to sunlight (UVA is thought to be the main type of light involved in hydroa vacciniforme). Dense, swollen bumps on the skin (papules) and blisters filled with fluid (hydroa) appear on the skin, and these can be itchy or can have a mild burning or stinging sensation. These turn into dimpled, blackened lesions on a red area of skin (the red area is inflammation, the black area is necrosis - death of cells and tissues). The lesions heal to form “pox-like” (vacciniforme) depressed scars.
Other signs and symptoms include conjunctivitis and an experience of pain or discomfort in the eyes on being exposed to bright lights (photophobia), fever, a general feeling of being ill (malaise), and separation of nails from the nail bed (photo-onycholysis).
The condition usually resolves at adolescence, but the scars are permanent. Making sure your child wears adequate clothing and high-SPF sunscreens can help reduce the development of lesions.
Photosensitivity Guide Index:
- What is photosensitivity?
- What are some photosensitive dermatoses caused by drugs or other chemicals?
- What are phototoxic reactions?
- What are photoallergic reactions?
- What is photocontact dermatitis?
- What are genetic and metabolic metabolic photosensitive dermatoses?
- What is pellagra?
- Who gets pellagra?
- What are some signs and symptoms of pellagra?
- What are porphyrias?
- What are acute porphyrias?
- What are cutaneous porphyrias?
- What is xeroderma pigmentosum?
- What is Bloom syndrome?
- What is Cockayne syndrome?
- What are photoaggravated dermatoses?
- What is atopic eczema?
- What is psoriasis?
- What is lichen planus?
- What is lupus erythematosus?
- What is dermatomyositis?
- What is actinic folliculitis?
- What is disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis?
- What are acquired idiopathic photosensitive dermatoses?
- What is polymorphic light eruption?
- What is chronic actinic dermatitis?
- What is solar urticaria?
- What is actinic prurigo?
- What is hydroa vacciniforme?
- What is juvenile spring eruption?
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