Photography of dermatological conditions using polarized light.

The author set up a photographic trial in order to determine the practicality of using photography with parallel- and cross-polarized light alongside routine clinical photography, and the usefulness of the resultant images in comparison with conventional photographs. It was found that the technique added no more than 5 min to patient contact time, and that the attendant cost was minimal. Parallel-polarization has proved relatively valueless, but cross-polarization significantly enhanced the definition of pigmented lesions, and has considerable potential as a technique for documenting specific conditions, and as a teaching aid.