DERMOFLUOROGRAPHY AS A POSSIBILITY FOR THERAPEUTIC CONTROL FOLLOWING SYMPATHECTOMY

The assessment of completeness of a sympathectomy can be objectively r ecorded and documented by dermofluorography. This method enables measu rement of increased skin perfusion which leads to an earlier appearanc e time and steeper initial rise in fluorescence of intravenously admin istered sodium fluorescein. The most significant parameters are the qu otients of the average appearance time and the initial rise in fluores cence of the untreated versus treated leg. Following a successful lumb ar sympathectomy, these parameters were outside 3 standard deviations of the values obtained from healthy test persons.