What was supposed to be routine treatment for the skin disease psoriasis left Kenneth W. Smith with first- and second-degree burns over 80 percent of his body, according to the lawsuit filed against the doctor's office that treated him.

The suit, made available Monday in Allen Superior Court, concerns ultraviolet light treatment Smith received at Dermatology Associates of Fort Wayne on Dec. 8, 2004. Smith had been treated there numerous times in the past and never experienced problems, said his lawyer, attorney Dennis H. Geisleman.

But this time was different. Within two hours of the treatment, Geisleman wrote in the suit, Smith experienced a burning sensation all over his body and his skin began to turn red. Smith tried to call Dermatology Associates, but the office was closed.

“Smith began to experience an increased level of pain and began feeling fatigued and began to shake,” Geisleman wrote. “The pain and shaking continued to get worse until his wife, Deb-Anne Smith, contacted the burn unit at St. Joseph Hospital.”

Smith, who, Geisleman wrote, suffered permanent skin changes, was taken to the emergency room and treated with morphine before being discharged on Dec. 11, 2004. On Oct. 20 of last year, a medical review panel found no evidence that Dermatology Associates, also known as Dermatology & Laser Surgery Associates of Fort Wayne, had not provided appropriate care.

Geisleman discounted the decision, saying that while he doesn't know the basis for it, something clearly went wrong with Smith's treatment.

“If there are policies and protocols in place, a lot of the time the panel looks to the procedure sometimes as much as they look at the care or result,” Geisleman said. “He got more radiation than was safe for him.”

Geisleman, an attorney since 1982, said he's been involved with numerous medical negligence cases, but has never encountered a case like Smith's. Geisleman wouldn't say how much in damages Smith is seeking.

Attorney N. Jean Schendel, who represents Dermatology Associates, didn't return calls Monday for comment.