A preliminary study on the in vivo transmission of light through psoriatic plaques

The transmission of light through psoriatic plaques has been measured in vivo using a quartz fiber before and after the application of the lipophilic liquid, glycerin. The results indicated a roughly two-fold increase in transmission following the application of glycerin. This was achieved after a period which ranged from 3 to 15 min suggesting a diffusion process. The main problem encountered was bleeding which led to satisfactory data being obtained in only 3 out of 6 patients investigated.