Serial nailfold capillary microscopy in primary Raynaud's phenomenon and scleroderma.
Eighty-four patients with long-standing Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) were evaluated by nailfold capillary microscopy (NCM) in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. The patients were classified in five diagnostic groups: primary familial RP (n = 16), primary nonfamilial RP (n = 20), possible scleroderma (n = 27), scleroderma (n = 16), and the CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia) syndrome (n = 8). In the cross-sectional study, NCM showed gradually decreasing numbers of capillary loops and increasing numbers of widened and giant loops in the following order: primary RP, possible scleroderma, and scleroderma/CREST, suggesting that these diseases are part of a continuing spectrum of RP. In the longitudinal study there was a decrease in the total number of nailfold capillary loops in scleroderma/CREST but not in primary RP and possible scleroderma.
ter Borg
E J
EJ
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Piersma-Wichers
G
G
Smit
A J
AJ
Kallenberg
C G
CG
Wouda
A A
AA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000098:blood supply*; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*