Measurement of cutaneous blood flow by the 133Xenon washout method. Clinical applications in dermatology.

Measurement of cutaneous blood flow by the 133Xenon washout method was elaborated by Sejrsen (1971). The method has been applied to evaluate the local regulation of blood flow in normals and in skin diseases. The method can, provided it is used with caution, give quantitative values for cutaneous and subcutaneous blood flow, but has mostly been used to register relative changes in blood flow during various provocation tests. This review details studies with relevance to dermatology performed during two decades.