SQUAMOMETRY - THE ASSESSMENT OF XEROSIS BY COLORIMETRY OF D-SQUAME ADHESIVE DISKS

Clinical grading of the level of scaling in winter xerosis is highly s ubjective and crude. We have developed noninvasive objective methods t o obtain more reliable information. Photographic records of epilumines cence microscopy and of cyanoacrylate skin surface biopsies enable gre atly improved visualization of the scaly surface. These evaluations, h owever, remain semiquantitative. A real quantitative assessment is ach ieved by collecting corneocytes on adhesive discs (D-Squame(R)) under standardized pressures, and by staining them with toluidine blue and b asic fuchsin. The specimen is then subjected to colorimetry in the chr oma Cmode to estimate the quantity of scales.