Actinic prurigo is a rare sunlight-induced, pruritic, papular or nodular skin eruption.
AP is characterized by itchy, inflamed papules, nodules, and plaques on the skin, that typically appear hours or days after exposure of the skin to UV light, and follow a general pattern of sun-exposed areas.
The face, neck, arms, hands, and legs are most often affected.
Sometimes lesions appear on skin that is covered by clothing and thus not exposed to UV light: making AP somewhat difficult to diagnose.
It is a chronic disease.
Symptoms usually worsen in the spring and summer as the day lengthens and exposure to sunlight increases.
Its cause is unknown.
UV-A and UV-B light seem to be the main provoking agents. This
Most patients live at high altitudes, >1000 m above sea level.
The process improves in many patients when they move to lower altitudes.
Currently there is no cure for actinic prurigo.
Treatment focuses on relieving the dermatologic symptoms, by way of topical steroid creams or systemic immunosuppressants.
Topical creams such as Tacrolimus and Betamethasone.
Systemic immunosuppressants such as Prednisone.
Immodulating agents-Thalidomide
Minimize sun exposure
Use of sunscreen throughout the year.
Use of sunscreen even on cloudy or overcast days, as UVA light, unlike UVB light, is able to penetrate cloud cover and remains constant throughout the day.