Narrowband ultraviolet B minimal erythema dose reference range

TY - JOUR

T1 - Narrowband ultraviolet B minimal erythema dose reference range

AU - Eadie, Ewan

AU - Todd, Brian

AU - Luzvminda, Sanchez

AU - Clery, Aisling

AU - Ferguson, John S.

AU - Fassihi, Hiva

AU - Sarkany, Robert P. E.

AU - Dawe, Robert S.

AU - Ibbotson, Sally H.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact [email protected]. This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/pages/standard-publication-reuse-rights)

PY - 2026/6

Y1 - 2026/6

N2 - Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy is a widely used treatment for various dermatological conditions. To optimize dosing and identify abnormal photosensitivity, minimal erythema dose (MED) testing is routinely performed. This retrospective review analysed MED values from 882 patients in Dundee and 188 in London, excluding those with abnormal photosensitivity or repeat tests. Median MED values increased with Fitzpatrick skin phototype (SPT), but significant overlap was observed across SPTs and between centres. Notably, Dundee exhibited statistically lower MED values than London for SPT II/III (P < 0.001). Compared with published volunteer studies, both centres reported lower MEDs, possibly due to differences in dosimetry, erythema assessment or population UV sensitivity. Nonresponder rates were low for SPT I–III but higher in SPT IV–VI, suggesting a need for broader test dose ranges in darker skin types. These findings provide updated reference ranges to inform NB-UVB phototherapy protocols and improve clinical practice.

AB - Narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy is a widely used treatment for various dermatological conditions. To optimize dosing and identify abnormal photosensitivity, minimal erythema dose (MED) testing is routinely performed. This retrospective review analysed MED values from 882 patients in Dundee and 188 in London, excluding those with abnormal photosensitivity or repeat tests. Median MED values increased with Fitzpatrick skin phototype (SPT), but significant overlap was observed across SPTs and between centres. Notably, Dundee exhibited statistically lower MED values than London for SPT II/III (P < 0.001). Compared with published volunteer studies, both centres reported lower MEDs, possibly due to differences in dosimetry, erythema assessment or population UV sensitivity. Nonresponder rates were low for SPT I–III but higher in SPT IV–VI, suggesting a need for broader test dose ranges in darker skin types. These findings provide updated reference ranges to inform NB-UVB phototherapy protocols and improve clinical practice.

U2 - 10.1093/ced/llag008

DO - 10.1093/ced/llag008

M3 - Article

C2 - 41498221

SN - 0307-6938

VL - 51

SP - 1057

EP - 1060

JO - Clinical and Experimental Dermatology

JF - Clinical and Experimental Dermatology

IS - 6

ER -