Since Foerster,1 in 1921, made his report on cases of psoriasis in which the patients were treated by irradiation of the thymus gland, and called attention to the method advocated by Brock,2 there has been a paucity of observations on this form of treatment, at least in the United States.
Foerster's1 work suggested a line of treatment easily applied, apparently harmless and with a possibility of improvement in the lesions, even though it might be temporary. During the past six years, irradiation of the thymus was tried in fifty cases. Some patients were selected on account of the severity of the disease, others because of the mildness of the attack; they were observed for periods of time varying from six years to several months. Friedlander3 believed that the thymus functions as a lymphoid organ and is related to the question of immunity and resistance. Abt4
JAMIESON RC. IRRADIATION OF THE THYMUS GLAND IN THE TREATMENT OF PSORIASIS. Arch Derm Syphilol. 1928;18(1):109–118. doi:10.1001/archderm.1928.02380130112010
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