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PUVA is an acronym for Psoralen plus UVA light and is a special type of phototherapy that combines the use of the drug Oxsoralen-Ultra® with exposure of the skin to UVA (ultraviolet A) light. Oxsoralen-Ultra® capsules make the skin more sensitive to light.
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Ultraviolet A light is composed of the longest wavelengths in the ultraviolet spectrum. UVA light has the property of being able to react with light-activated chemicals in the skin, or so-called photosensitizing agents. Psoralens, such as those present in Oxsoralen-Ultra®, are photosensitizing compounds that are activated by UVA light. If they are present in the skin at the time of exposure to UVA light, they greatly increase the effect of the light on the skin. This increased sensitivity is the key to the beneficial effect of PUVA therapy.4
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PUVA is an effective therapy for severe, recalcitrant, disabling psoriasis that does not respond to other forms of therapy and when the diagnosis has been supported by biopsy. Another benefit of PUVA therapy is that it tends to induce long-term remissions in psoriasis.5
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