Medical Encyclopedia
Wood's lamp test - of the scalp
A Wood's lamp is a light that uses long wave ultraviolet light. When an area of scalp that is infected with tinea (a type of ringworm fungus) is viewed under a Wood's light, the fungus may glow. This test may be done to detect the presence of a fungal scalp or skin infection.
Update Date: 10/16/2006
Updated by: Michael S. Lehrer, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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