Microvascular abnormalities as possible predictors of disease subsets in Raynaud phenomenon and early connective tissue disease.
In vivo capillary examination was performed on 80 patients included in a prospective study of Raynaud phenomenon (RP): 40 RP only (RPO), 20 undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) and 20 systemic scleroderma (SD) of less than 5 years' duration. On initial examination, SD-pattern capillary abnormalities were found in 7/40 patients with RP alone, 18/20 with UCTD and 19/20 with SD. On follow-up a change of diagnosis into a definite connective tissue disease occurred in 4 patients with UCTD; one patient with RP alone died with symptoms of myositis and fulminant pulmonary vasculitis. All five showed SD-pattern capillary abnormalities of the "active" type on initial examination. A significant correlation between the "slow" capillary pattern and the presence of anticentromere antibodies was also observed. Only one patient of 25 RPO with normal capillaries available for follow-up showed any change in clinical status.
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009262:Nails / Q000098:blood supply*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000473:pathology; D014699:Venules / Q000473:pathology
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear