Diagnostic and treatment methods for onychomycosis

The method of claim 1, further comprising:

• UV-Visual spectroscopic measurement of the nail in situ or an extracted sample of the nail;
• and
• correlating an intensity of Methlyene Blue spectral peaks to a fungal load or an infection severity score. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
• UV-Visual spectroscopic measurement of the nail in situ or an extracted sample of the nail;
• and
• correlating a spectral shift in Methylene Blue absorbance or emission to a fungal load or an infection severity score. The method of claim 5, wherein measuring the UV-Visual spectroscopic measurement comprises:
• illuminating the nail with 630-670 nm red light;
• and
• detecting absorbance or emission of Methylene Blue. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
• mechanically thinning the nail or shaping dystrophic areas of the nail into a channel to facilitate penetration of the composition into a nail bed. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
• micro drilling holes in the nail to promote penetration of the composition into a nail bed. The method of claim 1, wherein waiting for the composition to penetrate into the nail comprises:
• waiting at least 5 minutes.

A method for combined of diagnosis and treatment of onychomycosis, comprising:

• applying a composition containing 0.01-10% v/v Methylene Blue onto a nail;
• waiting for the composition to penetrate into the nail;
• waiting between 5-14 days for the Methylene Blue to selectively stain regions of onychomycosis in vivo;
• visually assessing Methylene Blue staining on the nail as an indication of onychomycosis infection and severity;
• and
• illuminating the nail with a dose of 5-200 J/cm2 of 630-670 nm red light;