Sunburn in Adult
Alerts and Notices
Synopsis

Skin phototype:
I: Always burns, never tans
II: Frequently burns, rarely tans
III: Infrequently burns, usually tans
IV: Low susceptibility to sunburn, light brown skin color
V: Very low susceptibility to sunburn, brown skin color
VI: Extremely low susceptibility to sunburn, dark brown skin color
Although sunburn is self-limiting, there is morbidity and mortality associated with long-term sun exposure. UV radiation (UVR) causes direct DNA damage to the skin cells in addition to suppression of skin immunity. Repeated exposure can cause permanent DNA damage. Sunburn is a risk factor for the development of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Having as little as 5 sunburns over a decade or 1 sunburn every 10 years can result in up to triple the risk of melanoma. Both childhood and adult sunburns can contribute to melanoma risk.
Codes
ICD10CM:L55.9 – Sunburn, unspecified
SNOMEDCT:
403194002 – Solar erythema
Look For
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Diagnostic Pearls
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Differential Diagnosis & Pitfalls
Many drugs that are phototoxic and cause exaggerated sunburn are active in the UVA spectrum. UVA can pass through window glass that stops UVB (the usual wavelength for inducing skin cancer).- Photosensitive drug eruption
- Photoallergic reaction
- Polymorphous light eruption
- Solar urticaria
- Chronic actinic dermatitis
- Cellulitis
- Exfoliative dermatitis
- Atopic dermatitis
- Chemical or thermal burns (see thermal or electrical burn; chemical burns are covered separately, by chemical agent)
- Lupus erythematosus
- Dermatomyositis
- Acute contact dermatitis
- Porphyria
Best Tests
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Management Pearls
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Therapy
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References
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Last Reviewed:06/11/2022
Last Updated:07/11/2022
Last Updated:07/11/2022