The Wood's Light's Diagnostic Use in Dermatology

The field of dermatology utilizes a wide variety of tools to aid in the determination of a diagnosis. Diagnostic tools are helpful when the cause of a patient's presentation may not be obvious based on history and physical examination. The purpose of this column is to highlight some of the more commonly encountered diagnostic tools in dermatology, the background and indications for their use, their construct and application, the ways to interpret their results, and their important clinical implications. This article presents the Wood's light, a useful and cost-effective tool to quickly assess many dermatologic conditions.