Plasma disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) concentration has been implicated as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. However, suitable methods for the estimation of these compounds in plasma are not available. In this paper, a method for the estimation of DSPC using argentation thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography is described. It is quantitative for the measurement of individual and total DSPC species and is not dependent on fatty acid chain length. The method employs hydrolysis of total plasma phosphatidyl choline by phospholipase C, followed by benzoylation of the diacylglycerols. The benzoates are then fractionated on silver nitrate-impregnated silica gel thin-layer chromatography plates, and the disaturated species separated and quantitated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The method is sensitive and reproducible and allows many samples to be done at once. With this method, the amounts of DSPC were found to be significantly higher in a group of normolipidemic diabetic subjects, compared to age-matched controls.