Blood flow and blood pressure in fingers in generalized scleroderma.
Sympathetic hyperactivity cannot be implicated in the peripheral vascular disturbances in patients with generalized scleroderma. On the contrary, there seems to be some evidence for a sympathetic hypoactivity in these patients and there seems to be good reason to abandon sympathectomy in the treatment. Vasodilator drugs can be hazardous in late-stage scleroderma due to the possibility of redistribution of blood flow and a decrease in systemic blood pressure. Even a small decrease in systemic blood pressure severely affects blood flow in the low pressure vascular bed found in fingertips of patients with generalized scleroderma.
D001794:Blood Pressure; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014665:Vasodilator Agents