title: In-vivo capillary-microscopical findings in patients with thrombangiitis obliterans, progressive systemic scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis, respectively.
abstract: Fourty patients with thrombangiitis obliterans were examined to find out whether in-vivo capillary microscopy can contribute to the establishment of a diagnosis. No capillary-microscopical signs could be detected that are exclusive to thrombangiitis obliterans. Nevertheless typical signs as capillary lengthening, capillary branching (53%) and haemorrhagic margin (75%) are of considerable differential-diagnostic value when it comes to distinguishing a case of thrombangiitis obliterans from a case of degenerative arterial occlusive disease. In a further series of examinations, the nailfold area of patients with progressive systemic scleroderma was examined by in-vivo capillary microscopy and with an ophthalmoscope. The coincidence of the findings between the two methods was 80% and more, so that the examination of the nailfold capillaries with an ophthalmoscope can aid verify the diagnosis of scleroderma. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis capillary tortuosities (85%), capillary branching (53%) and increased venule visibility (55%) often occur. These are unspecific signs. Typically capillary-microscopical symptoms for the disease are not detectable.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000473:pathology*; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology*; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000473:pathology*; D013919:Thromboangiitis Obliterans / Q000473:pathology*; D014699:Venules / Q000473:pathology