Wood's lamp
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Indications
Wood's lamp is especially useful in:
- detection of dermatophytosis of the hair shaft (green to yellow)
- erythrasma (coral red)
- examination of urine for pinkish red fluorescence characteristic of porphyria
- pigmented lesions of the epidermis are accentuated
- dermal pigment (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) fades
- vitiligo appears white; unsuspected areas may become apparent
- demonstration of Tinea versicolor
- recognition of ash leaf spots in tuberous sclerosis
Contraindications
- less sensitive than slit lamp examination for corneal abrasions, corneal ulcers, eye foreign bodies, rust rings, keratitis, & herpes ophthalmicus[3]
Clinical significance
- ultraviolet light (360 nm) useful for diagnosis of skin disorders & hair disorders
- when UV radiation emitted by the lamp contacts the skin, fluorescent pigments & subtle color differences of melanin pigmentation can be visualized
More general terms
Additional terms
References
- ↑ Color Atlas & Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology, Common & Serious Diseases, 3rd ed, Fitzpatrick et al, McGraw Hill, NY, 1997, pg 961
- ↑ Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th ed. Isselbacher et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1994, pg 274
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hooker EA, Faulkner WJ, Kelly LD, Whitford RC. Prospective study of the sensitivity of the Wood's lamp for common eye abnormalities. Emerg Med J 2019 Jan 10; PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30630841 https://emj.bmj.com/content/early/2019/01/10/emermed-2018-208235