Quantification of tissue fluorescein delivery and prediction of flap viability with the fiberoptic dermofluorometer.

Quantitative fluorescence assessment with the fiberoptic dermofluorometer has been introduced to overcome the inadequacies of ultraviolet inspection following intravenous administration of fluorescein. Initial applications in the pedicle flap of the rat have indicated that this method can predict flap viability with reproducible precision and accuracy. This minimally invasive technique should be of considerable assistance to the evaluation of hypoperfused states in laboratory and clinical situations.