title: How can follow-up of patients with Raynaud phenomenon be optimized?
abstract: BACKGROUND Raynaud phenomenon (RP) is common worldwide and presents diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. We aimed to share our experience with optimizing of patient follow-up by using the cold-stimulation test (CST). MATERIAL AND METHODS Data of 81 patients admitted with RP symptomatology were collected. Demographic data and symptoms were recorded. A scale was used for determining the severity of disease at pre-treatment and post-treatment. CST was performed to all patients at pre-treatment and post-treatment for assessment of treatment efficiency in follow-up. Results were analyzed with the SPSS for Mac 20.0 program. RESULTS All the patients were male. Mean age was 22.3 ± 2.14 (19-29). Mean duration of symptoms from onset to present was 4.59 ± 2.85 years. There were statistically significant differences between pre-treatment and post-treatment hand temperatures measured by CST (p<0.001). However, there were no statistically significant differences between pre-treatment and post-treatment severity scores of patients (p=0.135). CONCLUSIONS To quantitatively determine the treatment efficacy, CST may be used instead of asking simple questions of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kadan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Maresal Cakmak Military Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kubilay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karabacak
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Suat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doğancı
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ufuk
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Demirkılıç
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017694:Rewarming / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
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