METHOD OF DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSTICS OF NAIL PLATE DISEASES Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC A61B5/107 A61B8/13 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to field of medicine, namely to optic methods of biological tissue analysis. To carry out differential diagnostics of nail plate diseases analysis of patient's nail plates, preliminarily processed with 25% glycerol solution, is performed by optic coherent tomography. Nail plate is analysed in its middle part in direction from posterior wall to free edge, step-by-step with overlapping previous probe position by approximately 1/3 of probe working diameter. Image of five horizontally oriented layers of nail plate are analysed on tomograms. If the first layer is unchanged, height of the second layer is increased, signal intensity increases in the second, third and fourth layers, inhomogeneity appears within the second, third and fourth layers, contrast decreases and boundary between the third and the fourth layers disappears, inhomogeneous change of the fifth layer takes place, with irregular arch-like elements, characterised by high and low signal, psoriatic affection of nails is diagnosed. If signal intensity decreases in the first layer, thickness of the second, third and forth layers increases, signal intensity decreases within the third layer, contrast decreases and boundary between the second and third and the third and fourth layers decreases, as well as linear zones, horizontally oriented, parallel to each other, with high intensity signal appear, onychomycosis is diagnosed.

EFFECT: method provides possibility of non-invasive assessment of pathological process in nail plate.

4 ex, 4 dwg