Neutron activation analysis of trace elements in skin

Manganese levels were estimated in skin biopsies and serum in twenty-one cases of psoriasis and fifteen cases of vitiligo. There was a significant reduction in tissue manganese concentrations in psoriasis compared with normal, while vitiliginous skin contained higher manganese levels than apparently normal surrounding skin. Analysis of serum in both conditions revealed no variations in the concentrations of this element. There was no association between manganese content and the degree of melanization in seborrhoeic warts, whereas consistently high levels were found in pigmented moles.