What is Polymorphous Light Eruption?
Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE or PLE) is the most common form of photodermatosis. Photodermatoses are skin diseases which are caused by exposure to sunlight; the term “sun poisoning” is sometimes used to describe this family of conditions. Although doctors have researched polymorphous light eruption fairly extensively, the condition appears to be idiopathic in origin, meaning that no cause has been determined. Typically, polymorphous light eruption starts under the age of 30, and it is more common in women and residents of the Northern Hemisphere. After an exposure to sunlight, the skin develops an itchy red rash, which often starts in the form of spots which eventually merge together. Within one day to a week, the rash disappears, but it reappears if the patient is exposed to sun again.
