ReviewCureus2025
Effect of UV-A1 Phototherapy Treatment on Scleroderma: A Systematic Review.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease characterized by thickened and hardened skin, Raynaud's phenomenon, calcinosis, telangiectasias, joint and muscle problems, as well as respiratory, cardiac, renal, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Scleroderma can be classified as either localized or systemic. Localized scleroderma refers to sclerosis of isolated areas of the body confined to the skin and subcutaneous layer, but it does not involve the distal extremities. However, an exception to this in some cases is morphea, which may progress to organs. In comparison, systemic scleroderma affects both cutaneous and visceral organs. Diagnosis of the condition is made by clinical presentation, medical history, and diagnostic tests. Current treatment options for scleroderma include cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, and hematopoietic stem cell transplant. However, immunosuppressive agents used to treat scleroderma are associated with adverse effects. An unmet need exists for alternative therapies that are tied to a lower risk of adverse events. Ultraviolet (UV)-A1 phototherapy has increasingly been analyzed for use within autoimmune conditions as both a potential first-line or adjuvant treatment option. As such, we conducted a systematic literature review of a total of 293 articles using Ovid, Web of Science, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria, we included 11 articles in this review, which consisted of a total of 166 patients, the majority being female at 140 (84.3%) patients and only 26 males (15.7%). Overall, patients who received UV-A1 phototherapy saw beneficial effects, including improvements in skin elasticity, mobility of extremities, reduction of skin thickness within sclerotic areas, ulcer improvement, skin softening, reduction of skin tightness, and reduction in collagen bundle size and thickness. UV-A1 phototherapy has the potential to become an integral component of scleroderma management, offering a non-invasive and effective option for patients.
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Registered trials
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