Phototherapy: Kids are not just little people

Phototherapy is the delivery of treatments in the form of visible or ultraviolet light for the therapeutic care of a patient. Usage of phototherapy in children is affected by limited data in the medical literature, the inability of some children to stand still during the delivery of therapy, parental concerns regarding risks of therapy, and scheduling difficulties. Despite the limitation of data, there are publications in support of usage of phototherapy, especially for psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and vitiligo in both children and adults. This contribution provides an overview of the utility of phototherapy in skin conditions with a specific focus on the differences that exist in the data on and the delivery of phototherapy for adults and children.