Grenz rays are a treatment using the lowest energy, ultrasoft part of the X-ray spectrum, first investigated by Gustav Bucky in 1923 using a cathode vacuum tube with a lithium borate glass window; he named them Grenz rays, German for border, because he believed their biological effects sat on the border between ultraviolet light and conventional X-rays, and they are also known as Bucky rays. They are produced by specially calibrated machines generally operating in the 10 to 30 kilovolt range, are absorbed by air, and so must be given at fixed distances for which the machine has been calibrated. In human tissue they penetrate only about half a millimeter and are essentially absorbed within the first two millimeters of skin, making them a treatment aimed at the skin's surface layers; their exact mechanism is unknown but they affect the Langerhans cells of the epidermis.
Facts
FAQs
Which skin conditions have grenz rays been used to treat?
Eczema, psoriasis, palmoplantar pustulosis, neurodermatitis, pruritus ani and pruritus vulvae.
Grenz rays are described as indicated for eczema, psoriasis, palmoplantar pustulosis, neurodermatitis, pruritus ani and pruritus vulvae. This is the record of how the treatment has been used, not medical advice.
Connections
Treats
Source Grenz rays (Wikipedia)
Source Grenz rays (Wikipedia)
Source Grenz rays (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
2. Grenz rays (Wikipedia)
Article text
These were first investigated by Gustav Bucky in 1923 using a cathode vacuum tube with a lithium borate glass window, which he labeled Grenz rays as he believed that the biological effects resembled those of UV light and traditional X-rays and hence were on the border between the two (Grenz = border in German).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenz_rays, lead section
Grenz rays are part of the electromagnetic spectrum comprising low energy (ultrasoft) X-rays.
Treats: Psoriasis, Article text, use for
Grenz rays are indicated for treatment of eczema, psoriasis, palmoplantar pustulosis, neurodermatitis, pruritus ani and pruritus vulvae.
Treats: Eczema, Article text, use for
Grenz rays are indicated for treatment of eczema, psoriasis, palmoplantar pustulosis, neurodermatitis, pruritus ani and pruritus vulvae.
Treats: Actinic Keratosis, Article text, use for
Grenz rays have also been used for treatment of actinic keratosis and Bowen's disease.
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